Isolation of Leukocytes from Human Breast Milk for Use in an Antibody-dependent Cellular Phagocytosis Assay of HIV Targets

Breast milk transmits human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), though only ~15% of infants breastfed by HIV-infected mothers become infected. Breastfed infants ingest ~10⁵−10⁸ maternal leukocytes daily, though these cells are understudied. Here we describe the isolation of breast milk leukocytes and an analysis of their phagocytic capacity.