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Effect of a Fermented Soy Product on Cognition, Immune Status and Vaccine

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Cognitive Change
Immune Response
Inflammation
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: Q CAN PLUS
Dietary Supplement: Placebo
Registration Number
NCT04866576
Lead Sponsor
Loma Linda University
Brief Summary

The research study will test the effects of Q CAN PLUS powder on the immune, inflammatory and cognitive functions.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a fermented soy product (Q-CAN), compared to placebo, on the immune, inflammatory and cognitive functions of elderly individuals. The study intervention will be four months in length. sixty two participants , 65 years or older will be randomized to participate in the study.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
62
Inclusion Criteria
  • Elderly men and women, 65 years of age or older
  • Ambulatory
  • Able to accommodate the intervention food products
  • Live in or around Loma Linda to be able to commute to the Nutrition Research Center
Exclusion Criteria
  • Intolerance to soy products
  • Immune system insufficiency or disease
  • Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Dialysis
  • Current cancer radiation or chemotherapy
  • Prednisone or Prednisolone Therapy greater than 10mg/d

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Q CAN PLUS POWDERQ CAN PLUSQCAN PLUS POWDER: 2 pouches per day, each pouch contains (12-15 gms of fermented soy powder)
PlaceboPlaceboSprouted brown rice protein with flavor (provided by BESO Biological Research Inc.)
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Changes in inflammatory factors and cytokinesbaseline to week 16

Inflammatory markers in serum will be measured by ELISA and will include C-reactive protein (CRP), E-selectin, Pentraxin 3, Rantes, MCP-1 and Eotaxin.

Immunophenotyping will be performed on cryopreserved PBMCs using a flow cytometry. The following markers will be measured: T cytotoxic cells (Tc; CD3+CD8+), T helper cells (Th; CD3+CD4+), B cells (CD19+), NK cells (NK; CD3-CD16+), and regulatory T cells (Treg; CD3+CD4+CD25+Foxp3+). Additional characterization of T cells based on naive and memory phenotypes will be determined by corresponding patterns in the expression of CD45RA, CD45RO and CD62L, while different subpopulations of Tregs will be further differentiated by expressions of GITR, CTLA-4 and LAG-3

Changes in immune status measurementsbaseline to week 16

Immune status measurements will be performed using both static and functional tests on whole blood, serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Phlebotomy to obtain the needed samples will be performed at baseline (week 0) and at 16 weeks. Changes in immune status include changes in: (a) lymphocyte activity and cytokine production (b) natural killer cells activity, (c) lymphocyte subsets, and (d) inflammatory markers and cytokines.

Changes in lymphocyte subsetsbaseline to week 16

Immunophenotyping will be performed on cryopreserved PBMCs using a flow cytometry. The following markers will be measured: T cytotoxic cells (Tc; CD3+CD8+), T helper cells (Th; CD3+CD4+), B cells (CD19+), NK cells (NK; CD3-CD16+), and regulatory T cells (Treg; CD3+CD4+CD25+Foxp3+).

Changes in lymphocyte activity and cytokine productionbaseline to week 16

Lymphocyte activity and cytokine production will be measured using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and flow cytometry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) will be incubated and stimulated with or without phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the culture supernatant fluids collected and assayed using ELISA for the following cytokines: granulocyte macrophage colony- stimulating Factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 10 (IL-10).

Changes in natural killer (NK) cell activitybaseline to week 16

The NK degranulation assay will be performed on blood samples. The test will be conducted using a modified flow cytometry method that measures the expression of CD107a.

Changes in complete blood count (CBC) and differential countbaseline to week 16

CBC and the differential counts will be performed on whole blood with the use of an automated hematology analyzer at a certified clinical facility.

Immunophenotyping will be performed on cryopreserved PBMCs using a flow cytometry. The following markers will be measured: T cytotoxic cells (Tc; CD3+CD8+), T helper cells (Th; CD3+CD4+), B cells (CD19+), NK cells (NK; CD3-CD16+), and regulatory T cells (Treg; CD3+CD4+CD25+Foxp3+). Additional characterization of T cells based on naive and memory phenotypes will be determined by corresponding patterns in the expression of CD45RA, CD45RO and CD62L, while different subpopulations of Tregs will be further differentiated by expressions of GITR, CTLA-4 and LAG-3

Changes in neutralizing antibody titers against hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of the vaccine strain.week 16 to week 20

Neutralizing antibody titers in the serum against the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of the vaccine strain will be measured using the standard commercial ELISA kits.

Changes in the viral load in response to vaccinationweek 16 to week 20

Viral load in blood will be measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) protocol as described by Ward CL, et al. (2004).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Changes from baseline in global cognitive composite scorebaseline to week 16

The composite score will be calculated using the scores from the tests listed below. We will calculate the standardized scores of each test as the score of each participant minus the group mean and divide by its standard deviation. The composite score is the mean of the standardized scores.

The 12 tests are: Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF), Semantic Fluency (Animals), Boston Naming Test (BNT), Visual Object and Space Perception Battery (VOSP), Block Design section from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III), Trail Making Test (TMT), FAS Word Fluency, Stroop Color Word Test, Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SMDT) Digit Span from the WAIS-III and Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT-II).

Changes in the upper respiratory infection questionnaire scorebaseline to week 20

Upper respiratory tract infections will be tracked using the Jackson and Dowling questionnaire as adapted and published by Martineau et al. (2015). The questionnaire will be completed daily by participants, either manually or electronically, throughout the 20-week study period

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Loma Linda University School of Public Health

🇺🇸

Loma Linda, California, United States

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