Impact of probiotics on the immune response to influenza vaccination is strongly influenced by ageing

Abstract Influenza vaccination in the over 65s suffers from low success rates because of the age‐associated decline in immunity. Strategies for improving the response to vaccination are therefore urgently needed. Emerging evidence suggests that alteration of the gut microbiota could potentially influence antiviral defences and modulate the outcome of viral infections. Research conducted as part of a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Diet and Health Research Industry Club (DRINC)‐funded project identified immunoregulatory properties of a novel probiotic (B. longum infantis CCUG 52486) and demonstrated that the immune response to this and other probiotics was highly dependent on the age of the donor. Older subjects had a markedly poorer response to influenza vaccination than young subjects and, although a pre‐ and probiotic combination (synbiotic) did not improve the response, there were trends for differential effects of the probiotic in young and older subjects. However, further interrogation revealed that the older subjects on the synbiotic were already at a significant disadvantage in terms of likely ability to respond to the vaccine compared with those randomised to the placebo because of differences in immunosenescence between the randomised groups at baseline. This may have influenced the outcome of the intervention and the implications of this observation are far reaching as it suggests that failure to fully understand subject phenoty...
Source: Nutrition Bulletin - Category: Nutrition Authors: Tags: News from the Research Councils Source Type: research