| Objective: To investigate the effects of live Clostridium butyricum and Bifidobacterium combined Powder(Changlekang®) on B and T lymphocyte attenuator(BTLA) expressed on CD4+T helper and differentiation of lymphocyte subsets in late preterm infants in order to supply adequate evidences with use of such probiotics through clinical evaluation of its efficacies.Methods: Eighty late preterm infants, born within 24 hours and admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) between Juen 2013 and January 2015, whose gestational age ranged from 34 weeks(0 to 7 days) to 36 weeks(6-7 days), were randomly included. The eligible criteria were absent of neonatal comorbidities(including moderately severe asphyxia and infection, intrauterine infection, congenital malformation, respiratory distress syndrome, pneumorrhagia, congenital immunodeficiency or other related conditions) as well as maternal infectious diseases during pregnancy and autoimmune disorders. Then the 80 neonates were equally randomized into Changlekang therapy group and control group by random digit table. The test was immediately terminated to either requirement of special medication(such as use of antibiotics, transfusion of plasma or whole blood, use of gamma globulin or glucocorticoid) because of sudden changes of conditions in process or disagreement from the mother/father/ or her/his grandfather/grandmother. All test subjects being admitted were supported with conventional profile and symptomatically treated on infant formula powdered milk or breast feeding basis. Newborns in Changlekang group received oral Changlekang preparation(one capsule containing 420 mg powder being dissolved in the milk or plain warm boiled water) besides the regimen described above, twice a day for consecutive 7days, and the controls were given equivalent amount of warm boiled water at the same time point without any probiotics. 1ml peripheral venous blood was taken from individual neonate on the day of admission and the 8th day after admission, and separately maintained in the anticoagulant tube containing EDTA, and subjected to isolation of the mononuclear cells via Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and red blood cell lysis. The isolated cells were directly labeled with fluorescent antibody against BTLA and lymphocyte subsets. Flow cytometry was used to determine the level of BTLA expressed on CD4+T and the percentage of individual subpopulation of lymphocytes.Results: Totally, 30 later prematures completed the tests, in whom 17 were in Changlekang group and 13 in control group. The two groups were not statistically significant with regard to the gender, gestational age, borth weight, feeding profile and mode of delivery(P>0.05). 1)Compared with the controls, live Clostridium butyricum and Bifidobacterium combined Powder had significantly boosted the expression of BTLA protein on CD4 + helper T lymphocytes.2)After intervention with live Clostridium butyricum and Bifidobacterium combined Powder, the proportion of lymphocyte subsets in CD4+T helper and ratio of CD4+T/CD8+T were increased(P<0.05), whereas CD8+T ratio was drecreased(P<0.05).3)The ratio of NK cells to B lymphocytes remained no significant difference between the two groups before and after therapy.(P > 0.05).Conclusions: 1)Probiotics can facilitate activation of T lymphocytes, and inhibit excessive activation of the T lymphocytes as a result of over-expression of BTLA.2) The probiotics is capable of improving the differentiation of lymphocyte subgroup, and beneficial to body immunoregulation.3)Our findings may be a basis for further clinical evaluation of the efficacies and wider clinical recommendation of such probiotic preparation in later preterm infants. |
PDF Full Text Request