title: Effect of dietary ribonucleotides on infant immune status. Part 2: Immune cell development.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether dietary ribonucleotides alter immune cell phenotypes or function in the first year of life. Newborn term infants in a double-blind, 12-mo, multicenter trial were randomized to cow milk formula groups with (FN, n = 138) or without (F, n = 147) 72 mg/L supplemental ribonucleotides. A nonrandomized HMF cohort (n = 192) was concurrently enrolled. Eighty-eight immune blood cell types were characterized by flow cytometry. Data were analyzed by multivariate ANOVA (MANOVA), ANOVA, and repeated measures analysis (RMA), with adjustments made for multiple comparisons. Ribonucleotide feeding changed subpopulations of T and natural killer (NK) cells. FN had higher numbers and percentages of memory/effector (M/E) cytotoxic/suppressor (CD45R0(+)CD8(+), RMA) T, Fas(+) M/E (CD45R0(+)CD95(+)CD3(+), 6 mo) T, and CD56(+)CD16(-) NK cells (CD56(+)CD16(-)CD3(-)CD8(-), 12 mo), and higher percentages of M/E helper (CD45R0(+)CD4(+), RMA) T, Tc1 (IFN gamma(+)CD4(-)CD3(+), RMA), total interferon (IFN)gamma T (IFN gamma(+)CD4(+/-)CD3(+), RMA), Th2 (IL-4(+)CD4(+)CD3(+), 7 mo), and CD57(+) NK-T cells (CD57(+)CD56(-)CD3(+), 6 mo, 7 mo) compared with F. Percentages of naive helper T (CD45RA(+)CD4(+), 12 mo) and numbers and percentages of CD56(+) NK-T cells (CD56(+)CD16(-)CD3(+)CD8(-), 2 mo, 6 mo) were lower in FN than F. Percentages of M/E cytotoxic/suppressor, Th2, and CD56(+)CD16(-) NK cells in FN were significantly higher than F but were not different from HMF, whereas F was significantly lower than HMF. Ribonucleotide supplementation of infant formula supported increased T-cell maturation and affected immunoregulatory NK cell subsets. These FN-associated immune cell profiles either did not differ from those infants fed HMF or tended to be more like those fed HMF than those fed F.
authors.affiliation: Abbott Laboratories, Ross Products Division, 3300 Stelzer Rd., Columbus, OH 43219, USA. rachael.buck@abbott.com
authors.forename: Rachael H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Winship
authors.forename: Christopher T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Cordle
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kuchan
authors.forename: Geraldine E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Baggs
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Schaller
authors.forename: J Gary
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007223:Infant; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D014612:Vaccines / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D012265:Ribonucleotides; D014612:Vaccines