Objectives
The task force (TF) focuses on markers of immune functions that are relevant to health and well-being. Of particular importance is the reduction of risks of infectious diseases. The objective of the TF is to improve the understanding of how nutrients can improve resistance to infections in healthy people, and to put together evidence for the validation of selected markers.
Activities
The Impact of Nutrition on Inflammation
Inflammation is a stereotype non-specific response to pathogens and tissue injury. Acute inflammation is an essential defense mechanism against infections and tissue damage. However, chronic inflammation is harmful and can contribute to the triggering, perpetuation and progression of diseases. These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases (inflammatory bowel disease, environmental (tropical) enteropathy), obesity, and allergic and autoimmune diseases.
There are indications that diet and individual food components such as n-3 PUFA, prebiotics and probiotics, antioxidants and polyphenols affect inflammatory responses. In some cases, there is evidence for benefits on relevant clinical endpoints of aberrant inflammation. The mechanisms underlying the impact of nutrition on inflammation are currently being elucidated.
The TF commissioned an Expert Group to prepare a review on clinical and nutritional aspects of inflammation. Their work addresses clinical endpoints that can be influenced by nutrients. Obesity, cardiovascular diseases, atopic diseases, arthritis and gastrointestinal diseases were identified as relevant clinical endpoints.
The objective was to produce a multi-disciplinary review identifying molecular and cellular targets at which diet/nutrients impact on inflammatory processes. The initial insights were mostly derived from inflammatory processes underlying distinct pathophysiological conditions. The aim was, however, to interpret findings in the context of the normal, essentially healthy, population.
An Expert Group was set up with the following aims:
-
To review the inflammatory pathways underlying (a selection of) diseases, highlighting similarities and differences at the cellular and molecular level;
-
To review effects of diet/nutrients and other food components on the inflammatory diseases, focussing on identified cellular and molecular targets;
-
To combine the above to describe how selected diets/nutrients or other food components modulate inflammatory processes via identified cellular and molecular targets, and to describe how this impacts on the clinical endpoints.
The Expert Group held a three-day roundtable workshop to present and discuss these findings. A manuscript containing the workshop presentations and discussions is being finalised and will be published in British Journal of Nutrition as supplement.
Markers of Inflammation
At the Roundtable workshop on the Impact of Nutrition on Inflammation held in 2006, it appeared that further work on the markers of inflammation would be valuable. The heterogeneity of the tools used to assess the relationship between clinical symptoms and the biomarkers of inflammation is indeed a significant limiting factor for the progress of knowledge on the impact of nutrition on chronic inflammatory responses. In particular, the task force would like to gain a better insight into good predictive markers.
In the first instance, a brainstorming meeting was held in December 2007, in order to better shape this new activity with key experts. They agreed that the activity should aim at defining core pattern(s) of biomarkers for characterising inflammatory status and its progression from healthy to morbid stage. Ultimately, the activity could produce recommendations on novel markers.
A new Expert Group will be set up and will start the activity by identifying the gaps of knowledge and developing a preliminary list of key biomarkers of inflammation, covering a selection of endpoints and life stages. Then, a questionnaire will be developed to collect the input of leading experts at an international level. Ultimately, a workshop will be organised in order to review and validate the markers with a broader audience.
Update of the Concise Monograph “Nutrition and Immunity in Man”
The TF agreed to update the Concise Monograph “Nutrition and Immunity in Man” that was first published in 1999. Scientific knowledge on the complex network of specialised cells and organs that make up our immune system, as well as on the impact of nutritional factors on these protection mechanisms, has considerably improved over the past few years. The purpose of this update is to include relevant new information on pro- and prebiotics, fatty acids and vitamins. New insight will be included in particular with regard to reduction of disease risk. A new section will also be added on functional foods and health claims related to the immune system.
Task Force Collaborators
The scientists below participate in the task force and expert groups:
Experts from supporting member companies
Dr. Ruud Albers, Unilever (NL)
Dr. Jean-Michel Antoine, Groupe Danone (FR)
Dr. Stephanie Blum, Nestlé (CH)
Dr. Raphaëlle Bourdet-Sicard, Groupe Danone (FR)
Dr. Johan Garssen, Royal Numico (NL)
Ms. Riina Kekkonen, Valio (FI)
Dr. Joost van Neerven, Friesland Foods (NL)
Dr. Jan Van Loo, Züdzucker/BENEO Group (BE)
Dr. Belinda Van't Land, Royal Numico (N)L
Dr. Willem Vas Dias, Seven Seas (UK)
Dr. Jia Zhao, Yakult Europe (NL)
Experts from public institutes
Prof. Philip Calder, University of Southampton (UK)
Dr. Cees Beukelman, University of Utrecht (NL)
Prof. Bengt Bjorkstén, Karolinska Institute (SE)
Prof. Gordon Ferns, University of Surrey (UK)
Prof. Peter Friedmann, University of Southampton (UK)
Prof. Gary Frost, Imperial College London (UK)
Prof. Francisco Guarner, Hospital Vall d’Hebron (ES)
Dr. Breda Kiely, University College Cork (IE)
Prof. Martinus Løvik, Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
Dr. Sandra MacFarlane, University of Dundee (UK)
Dr. Mauro Serafini, National Institute of Nutrition – INRAN (IT)
Prof. Willem van Eden, University of Utrecht (NL)
Prof. Brigitte Winklholfer-Roob, Karl-Franzens University (AT)
Publications:
R. Albers, J-M Antoine, R. Bourdet-Sicard et al. Markers to Measure Immunomodulation in Human Nutrition Intervention Studies. British Journal of Nutrition 2005;94(3):452-481.
L. Langseth. Nutrition and Immunity in Man. ILSI Europe Concise Monograph Series 1999:1-26.
For more information contact info@ilsieurope.be