title: Bifidobacterium microbiota and parameters of immune function in elderly subjects.
abstract: Faecal and serum samples were collected over a period of 6 months from 55 institutionalized elderly subjects, who were enrolled in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Participants were randomized in one of the three treatment groups: intervention (two probiotic Bifidobacterium longum strains: 2C and 46), placebo and commercial control (Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12). The faecal Bifidobacterium microbiota was characterized by genus and species-specific PCR. Serum levels of the cytokines IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Each participant harboured on average approximately three different bifidobacterial species. The most frequently detected species were B. longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium bifidum. Depending on the treatment, the intervention resulted in specific changes in the levels of certain Bifidobacterium species, and positive correlations were found between the different species. Negative correlations were observed between the levels of Bifidobacterium species and the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha and the regulatory cytokine IL-10. The presence of faecal B. longum and Bifidobacterium animalis correlated with reduced serum IL-10. The anti-inflammatory TGF-beta1 levels were increased over time in all three groups, and the presence of Bifidobacterium breve correlated with higher serum TGF-beta1 levels. This indicates that modulation of the faecal Bifidobacterium microbiota may provide a means of influencing inflammatory responses.
authors.affiliation: Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Arthur C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ouwehand
authors.forename: Nynke
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bergsma
authors.forename: Riikka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parhiala
authors.forename: Sampo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lahtinen
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gueimonde
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Finne-Soveri
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Strandberg
authors.forename: Kaisu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pitkälä
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salminen
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10