Copy numbers of B. longum + Gl-OS in faecal samples. Data are mean ± 2SEM for n = 58 young and n = 54 older subjects. ☐ Maltodextrin, (gray square) B. longum + Gl-OS. Data were analysed using a Linear Mixed Model (LMM) with fixed factors of time, age and treatment. There were no statistically significant effects, either for combined or separate cohorts. (DOCX 25 kb

Agnieszka Przemska-Kosicka (3414500)

Caroline Childs (3414497)

Catherine Maidens (3414506)

Honglin Dong (142053)

Iman Dayel (3414509)

Kieran Tuohy (2260126)

Margot Gosney (3414494)

Parveen Yaqoob (1974064)

Sumia Enani (3414503)

Susan Todd (55505)

Immunity & Ageing

PubMed

Background

Ageing increases risk of respiratory infections and impairs the response to influenza vaccination. Pre- and probiotics offer an opportunity to modulate anti-viral defenses and the response to vaccination via alteration of the gut microbiota. This study investigated the effect of a novel probiotic, Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis CCUG 52486, combined with a prebiotic, gluco-oligosaccharide (B. longum + Gl-OS), on the response to seasonal influenza vaccination in young and older subjects in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, taking into account the influence of immunosenescence markers at baseline. 

Results

Vaccination resulted in a significant increase in total antibody titres, vaccine-specific IgA, IgM and IgG and seroprotection to all three subunits of the vaccine in both young and older subjects, and in general, the increases in young subjects were greater. There was little effect of the synbiotic, although it tended to reduce seroconversion to the Brisbane subunit of the vaccine and the vaccine-specific IgG response in older subjects. Immunological characterization revealed that older subjects randomized to the synbiotic had a significantly higher number of senescent (CD28-CD57+) helper T cells at baseline compared with those randomized to the placebo, and they also had significantly higher plasma levels of anti-CMV IgG and a greater tendency for CMV seropositivity. Moreover, higher numbers of CD28-CD57+ helper T cells were associated with failure to seroconvert to Brisbane, strongly suggesting that the subjects randomized to the synbiotic were already at a significant disadvantage in terms of likely ability to respond to the vaccine compared with those randomized to the placebo.

Conclusions

Ageing was associated with marked impairment of the antibody response to influenza vaccination in older subjects and the synbiotic failed to reverse this impairment. However, the older subjects randomized to the synbiotic were at a significant disadvantage due to a greater degree of immunosenscence at baseline compared with those randomized to the placebo. Thus, baseline differences in immunosenescence between the randomized groups are likely to have influenced the outcome of the intervention, highlighting the need for detailed immunological characterization of subjects prior to interventions

Przemska-Kosicka, Agnieszka

Childs, Caroline E.

Enani, Sumia

Maidens, Catherine

Dong, Honglin

Dayel, Iman B.

Tuohy, Kieran

Todd, Susan

Gosney, Margot A.

Yaqoob, Parveen

Central Archive at the University of Reading

Effect of a symbiotic on the response to seasonal influenza vaccination is strongly influenced by degree of immunosenescence

Agnieszka Przemska-Kosicka

Caroline E. Childs

Sumia Enani

Catherine Maidens

Honglin Dong

Iman Bin Dayel

Kieran Tuohy

Susan Todd

Margot A. Gosney

Parveen Yaqoob

Springer - Publisher Connector

Effect of a synbiotic on the response to seasonal influenza vaccination is strongly influenced by degree of immunosenescence

Background: Ageing increases risk of respiratory infections and impairs the response to influenza vaccination. Pre- and probiotics offer an opportunity to modulate anti-viral defenses and the response to vaccination via alteration of the gut microbiota. This study investigated the effect of a novel probiotic, Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis CCUG 52,486, combined with a prebiotic, gluco-oligosaccharide (B. longum + Gl-OS), on the response to seasonal influenza vaccination in young and older subjects in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, taking into account the influence of immunosenescence markers at baseline. Results: Vaccination resulted in a significant increase in total antibody titres, vaccine-specific IgA, IgM and IgG and seroprotection to all three subunits of the vaccine in both young and older subjects, and in general, the increases in young subjects were greater. There was little effect of the synbiotic, although it tended to reduce seroconversion to the Brisbane subunit of the vaccine and the vaccine-specific IgG response in older subjects. Immunological characterization revealed that older subjects randomized to the synbiotic had a significantly higher number of senescent (CD28−CD57+) helper T cells at baseline compared with those randomized to the placebo, and they also had significantly higher plasma levels of anti-CMV IgG and a greater tendency for CMV seropositivity. Moreover, higher numbers of CD28−CD57+ helper T cells were associated with failure to seroconvert to Brisbane, strongly suggesting that the subjects randomized to the synbiotic were already at a significant disadvantage in terms of likely ability to respond to the vaccine compared with those randomized to the placebo. Conclusions: Ageing was associated with marked impairment of the antibody response to influenza vaccination in older subjects and the synbiotic failed to reverse this impairment. However, the older subjects randomized to the synbiotic were at a significant disadvantage due to a greater degree of immunosenscence at baseline compared with those randomized to the placebo. Thus, baseline differences in immunosenescence between the randomized groups are likely to have influenced the outcome of the intervention, highlighting the need for detailed immunological characterization of subjects prior to interventions

Przemska-Kosicka, A.

Childs, C. E.

Enani, S.

Maidens, C.

Bin Dayel, I.

Tuohy, K.

Todd, S.

Gosney, M. A.

Yaqoob, P.

Coventry University Pure Portal

English

The Francis Crick Institute

Additional file 2: Figure S2. of Effect of a synbiotic on the response to seasonal influenza vaccination is strongly influenced by degree of immunosenescence

Background: Ageing increases risk of respiratory infections and impairs the response to influenza vaccination.
Pre- and probiotics offer an opportunity to modulate anti-viral defenses and the response to vaccination via
alteration of the gut microbiota. This study investigated the effect of a novel probiotic, Bifidobacterium longum
bv. infantis CCUG 52,486, combined with a prebiotic, gluco-oligosaccharide (B. longum + Gl-OS), on the response
to seasonal influenza vaccination in young and older subjects in a double-blind, randomized controlled trial,
taking into account the influence of immunosenescence markers at baseline.
Results: Vaccination resulted in a significant increase in total antibody titres, vaccine-specific IgA, IgM and IgG
and seroprotection to all three subunits of the vaccine in both young and older subjects, and in general, the
increases in young subjects were greater. There was little effect of the synbiotic, although it tended to reduce
seroconversion to the Brisbane subunit of the vaccine and the vaccine-specific IgG response in older subjects.
Immunological characterization revealed that older subjects randomized to the synbiotic had a significantly
higher number of senescent (CD28−CD57+) helper T cells at baseline compared with those randomized to the
placebo, and they also had significantly higher plasma levels of anti-CMV IgG and a greater tendency for CMV
seropositivity. Moreover, higher numbers of CD28−CD57+ helper T cells were associated with failure to seroconvert to
Brisbane, strongly suggesting that the subjects randomized to the synbiotic were already at a significant disadvantage
in terms of likely ability to respond to the vaccine compared with those randomized to the placebo.
Conclusions: Ageing was associated with marked impairment of the antibody response to influenza vaccination in
older subjects and the synbiotic failed to reverse this impairment. However, the older subjects randomized to the
synbiotic were at a significant disadvantage due to a greater degree of immunosenscence at baseline compared with
those randomized to the placebo. Thus, baseline differences in immunosenescence between the randomized groups
are likely to have influenced the outcome of the intervention, highlighting the need for detailed immunological
characterization of subjects prior to interventions.
Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01066377

Przemska Kosicka, A.

Dong, H.

Tuohy, Kieran Michael

Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Fondazione Edmund Mach

Crossref

Childs, Caroline

Enani, Sumaia

Bin Dayel, Iman

Gosney, Margot

Southampton (e-Prints Soton)

International Journal of Integrated Health Sciences

file:///data/remote/core/dit/data/Springer-OA/pdf/4a5/aHR0cDovL2xpbmsuc3ByaW5nZXIuY29tLzEwLjExODYvczEyOTc5LTAxNi0wMDYxLTQucGRm.pdf

Additional file 2: Figure S2. of Effect of a synbiotic on the response to seasonal influenza vaccination is strongly influenced by degree of immunosenescence

Abstract

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Central Archive at the University of Reading

Springer - Publisher Connector

Coventry University Pure Portal

The Francis Crick Institute

Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Fondazione Edmund Mach

Crossref

Coventry University Pure Portal

Southampton (e-Prints Soton)

International Journal of Integrated Health Sciences