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Modifying the Gut Microbiome Through Diet: Effects on the Immune System of Elderly Subjects

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Handbook of Immunosenescence

Abstract

The human gut microbiome is highly variable among individuals and is known to be influenced by numerous environmental and host factors. The gut microbiome is modified by diet and shows changes with aging. The gut microbiome is believed to interact with the host’s immune system. Thus, there is interest in whether dietary probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics might benefit immune function in older adults, acting through modified gut microbiota to prevent or slow the changes associated with immunosenescence. Here the available evidence from human studies of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics and immune function in older adults is reviewed. There is good evidence that probiotics can improve in vivo and ex vivo measures of immune function in older adults. Further research is required before conclusions can be made regarding the role that prebiotics or synbiotics may have on immune function in the elderly. Future studies will need to ensure that the gut microbiome and immune markers relevant to immunosenescence are fully evaluated in robust study designs in order to have greater confidence in the application of these interventions, ensuring that the potential translational value of research in this field is realized.

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Abbreviations

APC:

Antigen-presenting cell

CD:

Cluster of differentiation

CFU:

Colony-forming unit

CMV:

Cytomegalovirus

ConA:

Concanavalin A

CRP:

C-reactive protein

DTH:

Delayed-type hypersensitivity

EMRA cells:

Terminally differentiated effector memory cells

FISH:

Fluorescence in situ hybridization

FOS:

Fructo-oligosaccharides

GOS:

Galacto-oligosaccharides

hBD-2:

Human β-defensin

hs:

High sensitivity

IFN:

Interferon

Ig:

Immunoglobulin

IL:

Interleukin

iNOS:

Inducible nitric oxide synthase

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharide

MFI:

Mean fluorescence intensity

NK:

Natural killer

NKT cell:

Natural killer T cell

NS:

Nonsignificant

NSAIDS:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

OTU:

Operational taxonomic units

PBMC:

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell

PGE:

Prostaglandin E

PHA:

Phytohemagglutinin

qPCR:

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction

SCFA:

Short-chain fatty acid

TGF-β:

Transforming growth factor β

TNF:

Tumor necrosis factor

TREC:

T cell receptor excision circle

WBC:

White blood cell

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Childs, C.E., Calder, P.C. (2018). Modifying the Gut Microbiome Through Diet: Effects on the Immune System of Elderly Subjects. In: Fulop, T., Franceschi, C., Hirokawa, K., Pawelec, G. (eds) Handbook of Immunosenescence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64597-1_160-1

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