Effects of prebiotics on the immune response to vaccination in the elderly

Bunout, D; Hirsch, S; de la Maza, MP; Munoz, C; Haschke, F; Steenhout, P; Klassen, P; Barrera, G; Gattas, V; Petermann, M

Abstract

Background: Prebiotics stimulate the growth of bifidogenic bacteria in the gut. The aim of this work was to assess the effects of a prebiotic mixture on the immune response in healthy elderly people. Methods: Healthy free-living elderly people (age, ?70 years), receiving a nutritional supplement that provided 1.6 MJ, 15 g of protein, and 50% of vitamin daily reference values per day, were randomly assigned to receive a prebiotic mixture (6 g/d of a 70% raftilose and 30% raftiline mixture) or placebo (6 g of maltodextrin powder) for 28 weeks. At week 2 of the study, all subjects were vaccinated with influenza and pneumococcal vaccines. At weeks 0, 2, and 8 of the study, serum total proteins, albumin, immunoglobulins, saliva secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), and serum titers of influenza A and B and pneumococcal antibodies were measured. At week 8, cultured peripheral monocyte cell secretion of interleukin-4, interferon-?, and lymphocyte proliferation, stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and influenza antigen, were measured. Results: Sixty-six subjects were considered eligible for the study, and 43 (20 receiving prebiotics and 23 receiving placebo) were considered for final analyses on a per protocol basis. No changes in serum proteins, albumin, immunoglobulins, and secretory IgA were observed. Antibodies against influenza B and pneumococcus increased significantly from weeks 0 to 8, with no significant differences between groups. Antibodies against influenza A did not increase. No effects of prebiotics on interleukin-4 and interferon-? secretion by cultured monocytes were observed. Conclusions: No immunological effects of prebiotics were observed in this study.

Más información

Título según WOS: Effects of prebiotics on the immune response to vaccination in the elderly
Título según SCOPUS: Effects of prebiotics on the immune response to vaccination in the elderly
Título de la Revista: JOURNAL OF PARENTERAL AND ENTERAL NUTRITION
Volumen: 26
Número: 6
Editorial: Wiley
Fecha de publicación: 2002
Página de inicio: 372
Página final: 376
Idioma: English
URL: http://pen.sagepub.com/cgi/doi/10.1177/0148607102026006372
DOI:

10.1177/0148607102026006372

Notas: ISI, SCOPUS