The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Markers to measure immunomodulation in human nutrition intervention studies

Markers to measure immunomodulation in human nutrition intervention studies
Markers to measure immunomodulation in human nutrition intervention studies
Normal functioning of the immune system is crucial to the health of man, and diet is one of the major exogenous factors modulating individual immunocompetence. Recently, nutrition research has focused on the role of foods or specific food components in enhancing immune system responsiveness to challenges and thereby improving health and reducing disease risks. Assessing diet-induced changes of immune function, however, requires a thorough methodological approach targeting a large spectrum of immune system parameters. Currently, no single marker is available to predict the outcome of a dietary intervention on the resistance to infection or to other immune system-related diseases. The present review summarises the immune function assays commonly used as markers in human intervention studies and evaluates their biological relevance (e.g. known correlation with clinically relevant endpoints), sensitivity (e.g. within- and between-subject variation), and practical feasibility. Based on these criteria markers were classified into three categories with high, medium or low suitability. Vaccine-specific serum antibody production, delayed-type hypersensitivity response, vaccine-specific or total secretory IgA in saliva and the response to attenuated pathogens, were classified as markers with high suitability. Markers with medium suitability include natural killer cell cytotoxicity, oxidative burst of phagocytes, lymphocyte proliferation and the cytokine pattern produced by activated immune cells. Since no single marker allows conclusions to be drawn about the modulation of the whole immune system, except for the clinical outcome of infection itself, combining markers with high and medium suitability is currently the best approach to measure immunomodulation in human nutrition intervention studies. It would be valuable to include several immune markers in addition to clinical outcome in future clinical trials in this area, as there is too little evidence that correlates markers with global health improvement.
Immune function, marker, diet, human studies, infections
0007-1145
452-481
Albers, R.
63eb3d3b-2052-4ad1-a7aa-888a6781c5e0
Antoine, J.M.
5ba5f978-1140-4f4f-a490-50d88801a4ce
Bourdet-Sicard, R.
a26da4a1-1c23-4a26-b16a-0947513c962d
Calder, P.C.
1797e54f-378e-4dcb-80a4-3e30018f07a6
Gleeson, M.
fdea7fee-a738-46f9-94e8-8a396520fc75
Lesourd, B.
6a529e1b-3578-45c8-921d-2b048badae06
Samartin, S.I.R.
5c9d01aa-321d-485b-a44d-59143dac6063
Van Loo, J.
e4de3f9b-8111-4b18-903b-d042f11ef387
Vas Dias, F. W.
f4b089fb-b07e-43c3-9cf6-87f080b02392
Watzl, B.
e3909f88-5054-421d-b1b4-9586f2ec60fc
Albers, R.
63eb3d3b-2052-4ad1-a7aa-888a6781c5e0
Antoine, J.M.
5ba5f978-1140-4f4f-a490-50d88801a4ce
Bourdet-Sicard, R.
a26da4a1-1c23-4a26-b16a-0947513c962d
Calder, P.C.
1797e54f-378e-4dcb-80a4-3e30018f07a6
Gleeson, M.
fdea7fee-a738-46f9-94e8-8a396520fc75
Lesourd, B.
6a529e1b-3578-45c8-921d-2b048badae06
Samartin, S.I.R.
5c9d01aa-321d-485b-a44d-59143dac6063
Van Loo, J.
e4de3f9b-8111-4b18-903b-d042f11ef387
Vas Dias, F. W.
f4b089fb-b07e-43c3-9cf6-87f080b02392
Watzl, B.
e3909f88-5054-421d-b1b4-9586f2ec60fc

Albers, R., Antoine, J.M., Bourdet-Sicard, R., Calder, P.C., Gleeson, M., Lesourd, B., Samartin, S.I.R., Van Loo, J., Vas Dias, F. W. and Watzl, B. (2005) Markers to measure immunomodulation in human nutrition intervention studies. British Journal of Nutrition, 94 (3), 452-481. (doi:10.1079/BJN20051469).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Normal functioning of the immune system is crucial to the health of man, and diet is one of the major exogenous factors modulating individual immunocompetence. Recently, nutrition research has focused on the role of foods or specific food components in enhancing immune system responsiveness to challenges and thereby improving health and reducing disease risks. Assessing diet-induced changes of immune function, however, requires a thorough methodological approach targeting a large spectrum of immune system parameters. Currently, no single marker is available to predict the outcome of a dietary intervention on the resistance to infection or to other immune system-related diseases. The present review summarises the immune function assays commonly used as markers in human intervention studies and evaluates their biological relevance (e.g. known correlation with clinically relevant endpoints), sensitivity (e.g. within- and between-subject variation), and practical feasibility. Based on these criteria markers were classified into three categories with high, medium or low suitability. Vaccine-specific serum antibody production, delayed-type hypersensitivity response, vaccine-specific or total secretory IgA in saliva and the response to attenuated pathogens, were classified as markers with high suitability. Markers with medium suitability include natural killer cell cytotoxicity, oxidative burst of phagocytes, lymphocyte proliferation and the cytokine pattern produced by activated immune cells. Since no single marker allows conclusions to be drawn about the modulation of the whole immune system, except for the clinical outcome of infection itself, combining markers with high and medium suitability is currently the best approach to measure immunomodulation in human nutrition intervention studies. It would be valuable to include several immune markers in addition to clinical outcome in future clinical trials in this area, as there is too little evidence that correlates markers with global health improvement.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2005
Keywords: Immune function, marker, diet, human studies, infections

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 25193
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/25193
ISSN: 0007-1145
PURE UUID: 0326be01-bccd-4d4d-976f-b39bacd77ad9
ORCID for P.C. Calder: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6038-710X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 07 Apr 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:50

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: R. Albers
Author: J.M. Antoine
Author: R. Bourdet-Sicard
Author: P.C. Calder ORCID iD
Author: M. Gleeson
Author: B. Lesourd
Author: S.I.R. Samartin
Author: J. Van Loo
Author: F. W. Vas Dias
Author: B. Watzl

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×