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

Effect of a Fermented Soy Product on Cognition, Immune Status and Response to Influenza Vaccine in Elderly Men and Women

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

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Inflammation; Immune Response; Cognitive Change
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Q CAN PLUS; Dietary supplement: Placebo

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 62
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Loma Linda, California, United States, 92350
      • Loma Linda University School of Public Health

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 80 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

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 Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Q CAN PLUS POWDER; QCAN PLUS POWDER: 2 pouches per day, each pouch contains (12-15 gms of fermented soy powder)	Dietary supplement: Q CAN PLUS; Active powder with fermented soy, 2 pouches per day, each pouch contains 12-15 gms of fermented soy
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Sprouted brown rice protein with flavor (provided by BESO Biological Research Inc.)	Dietary supplement: Placebo; Maltodextrin powder with Whey protein and flavor (provided by BESO Biological Research, Inc.)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in immune status measurements	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.	baseline to week 16
Changes in lymphocyte activity and cytokine production	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).	baseline to week 16
Changes in natural killer (NK) cell activity	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.	baseline to week 16
Changes in lymphocyte subsets	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+).	baseline to week 16
Changes in inflammatory factors and cytokines	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	baseline to week 16
Changes in complete blood count (CBC) and differential count	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	baseline to week 16
Changes in neutralizing antibody titers against hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of the vaccine strain.	Neutralizing antibody titers in the serum against the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of the vaccine strain will be measured using the standard commercial ELISA kits.	week 16 to week 20
Changes in the viral load in response to vaccination	Viral load in blood will be measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) protocol as described by Ward CL, et al. (2004).	week 16 to week 20

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes from baseline in global cognitive composite score	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).	baseline to week 16
Changes in the upper respiratory infection questionnaire score	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	baseline to week 20

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Loma Linda University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joan Sabate, DrPH, Loma Linda University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 12, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 15, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 26, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): April 30, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 29, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 27, 2023
• Last Verified: September 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Inflammation; Immunity; Cognition; Fermented Soy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Inflammation
• Other Study ID Numbers: 5210161

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No