Preventive effect of lactoferrin on late miscarriage and premature birth from the viewpoint of infection and immune control

Prevention of preterm birth (PTB) is a global challenge and is one of the most important issues to be addressed in perinatal care. The hypothesis that ascending lower genital infection leads to PTB has been tested in numerous in vitro and in vivo studies. For patients with intractable vaginitis or high-risk patients with successive PTBs, mainly due to intra-uterine infection, the vaginal flora is enhanced to increase systemic immunity and locally propagate Lactobacillus species. It has been shown that the administration of lactoferrin, a prebiotic with minimum side effects, may be effective in suppressing PTB. This hypothesis has been evaluated in this presentation using various relevant test examples. The findings suggest that LF may play a role in inflammatory protection in human pregnant cervical tissue. It was clarified that LF suppresses PTB and improves the prognosis of pups in the inflammation-induced PTB animal models. Thus, we have identified the first ever clinical application of LF, a prebiotic contained in breast milk, for the purpose of suppressing PTB in humans. It can be used to prevent PTBs in high-risk pregnancies. In addition, we will introduce the possibility of improvement effect of LF for chronic endometritis before pregnancy, including recent findings and our own cases.