Effects of a Formula Containing Two Types of Prebiotics, Bifidogenic Growth Stimulator and Galacto-oligosaccharide, and Fermented Milk Products on Intestinal Microbiota and Antibody Response to Influenza Vaccine in Elderly Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 351 - 365
• Main Authors: Nagafuchi, Shinya, Yamaji, Taketo, Kawashima, Akihiro, Saito, Yukiko, Takahashi, Takeshi, Yamamoto, Takayuki, Maruyama, Mitsuo, Akatsu, Hiroyasu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18-06-2015; MDPI
• Subjects: Bifidobacterium; Biochemistry; enterally fed patients; hemagglutination inhibition test; Influenza; Milk; Prebiotics; seroprotective rate; Vaccines; Bifidobacterium; hemagglutination inhibition test; seroprotective rate; enterally fed patients
• ISSN: 1424-8247; 1424-8247
• DOI: 10.3390/ph8020351

We investigated the effect of a formula containing two different prebiotics (bifidogenic growth stimulator and galacto-oligosaccharide) and fermented milk products on intestinal microbiota and antibody responses to an influenza vaccine in enterally fed elderly in-patients. Patients were administered either formula containing prebiotics and fermented milk products (group F: n = 12, 79.9 ± 9.5 years old) or standard formula (group C: n = 12, 80.7 ± 10.1 years old) via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy during a 14-week intervention period. Subjects were immunized with an influenza vaccine (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B) at week 4 of the intervention. Blood biochemical indices, intestinal bacteria populations and antibody titers were analyzed. Bifidobacterium counts increased significantly in group F compared with group C. The enhanced antibody titers against A/H1N1 were maintained in group F for a longer period compared with group C. The titers against A/H3N2 were unchanged between both groups, and those against B were significantly lower in group F than in group C, although few subjects had seroprotective titers against A/H3N2 and B. These results suggest that administration of the formula containing prebiotics and fermented milk products may maintain antibody titers for longer periods through the improvement of intestinal microbiota.