title: Differential effects of chitooligosaccharides on serum cytokine levels in aged subjects.
abstract: Free amine chitooligosaccharides (FACOS, Kitto Life, Seoul, Republic of Korea) with an average molecular mass of 3.5 kDa were efficiently produced using an ultrafiltration membrane reactor system. To evaluate the effect of chitooligosaccharides on serum cytokine levels in elderly adults after oral intake, 5.1 g/day of FACOS was given to elderly (age range, 74-86 years; mean, 80 +/- 3 years) volunteers during an 8-week experimental period. Interleukin (IL)-12 and interferonã levels were significantly higher in the FACOS group than in the control group (P < .05). However, levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha decreased after FACOS intake during the experimental period. The results of this study suggest that the oral intake of chitooligosaccharides may have beneficial effects on specific cell-mediated immunity while also acting as an anti-inflammatory agent in aged subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Kyung Sin
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: You Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Se Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D048271:Chitosan