The effect of fermented milk on interferon production in malnourished children and in anorexia nervosa patients undergoing nutritional care

Abstract

For several years cytokine production has been associated with infections but it was not suspected that some types of food could also induce cytokines, even in a state of non-infection. Lactic bacteria can induce interferon (IFN) production in human healthy subjects, thus, a better protection against infections would be expected. Therefore, we planned to evaluate the effect of two diets including yoghurt or milk on IFN-g production during nutritional recovery in two different situations of malnutrition: (1) children with diarrhoea; and (2) patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Both the diet including yoghurt of that including milk seemed to increase IFN-g production at the end of nutritional recovery in the malnourished children with diarrhoea. The significance of interferon production and the lymphocyte subset increase should be explored to know if a better resistance against pathogens is related to them. Regulation of intestinal absorption and moderate stimulation of interferon production make the yoghurt-based diet a good choice in the nutritional care of children. In the same way, an increase in the IFN-g production was observed in AN patients consuming yoghurt. This increase of IFN-g production could be considered a biological marker to detect the effect of probiotics on the immune response, especially in the improvement of a deficient nutritional status.

Reversal in fatigued athletes of a defect in interferon γ secretion after administration ofLactobacillus acidophilus

“…Certain L acidophilus isolates can engage toll-like receptors on the surface of antigen presenting cells, which in turn affects the balance of signal to the T cell and the subsequent cytokine secretion pattern. 17 An increase in IFNc secretion following polyclonal stimulation of blood lymphocytes in under-nourished children 18 and children with cow's milk allergy 19 given different probiotic preparations is consistent with the cytokine secretion patterns in this study of athletes. This study, however, is the first to identify an increase in IFNc secretion from whole blood cells and an increase in IFNc concentration in saliva in man, which suggest a possible link between probiotic use in man and the observed reduction of mucosal infection in animal models, where saliva concentrations of IFNc have increased after ingestion of L acidophilus.…”

Probiotic, as well as conventional yogurt, can enhance the stimulated production of proinflammatory cytokines

“…IFN‐γ production was also greater in PBMC isolated from the blood of live yogurt consumers (Halpern et al. , 1991) and of anorectic female adolescents after the consumption of regular yogurt (Solis et al. , 2002).…”

Yoghurt accelerates the recovery of defence mechanisms againstStreptococcus pneumoniaein protein-malnourished mice

“…Although these studies were performed in an animal model of malnutrition, several investigations suggest that fermented milk consumption improves recovery in undernourished children or children with diarrhoea (Gendrel et al 1990;Touhami et al 1992;Lewis & Freeman, 1998;Saavedra, 2000;Solis et al 2002). Furthermore, the World Health Organization (2000) has supported the use of yoghurt in nutritional recovery.…”