Angiopoietins in Human Breast Milk

Angiogenesis is an important process after birth for neonates. Vascular endothelial growth factor is a potent proangiogenic protein, which stimulates endothelial cell proliferation, survival, and migration. For vessel maturation, all components have to move together. Angiopoietins (ANG) are very important signal proteins for pericytes and have not yet been determined in human breast milk. The aim of this study was to show whether there were ANG in human breast milk.

Human breast milk samples were collected from 9 mothers of preterm (≤33 weeks) and 17 mothers of term and late preterm (>33 weeks). Milk samples were collected on 3rd, 7th, and 28th days from delivery. We analyzed ANG-1 and ANG-2 levels in human milk and compared these levels considering the gestational age and day of lactation from delivery.

There was a significant difference between the ANG-1 levels of the two groups of gestational age (p = 0.008), while ANG-2 levels were not significantly different (p = 0.821), without considering the days of lactation from delivery. ANG-1 and 2 levels of milk samples of 3rd, 7th, and 28th days from lactation showed no significant difference in both gestational age groups.

The presence of ANG in human breast milk was proved with this study and ANG-1 levels were found to be lower in preterm group. These results may be important for neonates in terms of angiogenesis and also lymphangiogenesis.