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Biomedical subjects

Steven M Wood

Publications and source records attributed to Steven M Wood.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

A nutritional strategy to improve oxygenation and decrease morbidity in patients who have acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Enteral nutrition is increasingly becoming the standard of care for critically ill patients with the goal of providing nutritional support that prevents nutritional deficiencies and reduces morbidity. Furthermore, the development of nutritional strategies that dampen inflammation is an encouraging advance in the management of patients who have acute respiratory distress syndrome. This article discusses evidence from randomized, controlled studies that the use of a specialized nutritional formula containing eicosapentaenoic acid plus gamma-linolenic acid and elevated antioxidants offer physiologic and anti-inflammatory benefits over standard formulas.

Animals↗

Nutritional formula improved immune profiles of seniors living in nursing homes.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether an experimental nutritional formula (EXP) supports immune function in seniors living in long-term care facilities. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial conducted September 2002 through January 2003. SETTING: North central Florida nursing homes. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects aged 65 and older (n = 157). INTERVENTION: Subjects received 240 mL/d of EXP or standard liquid nutrition (CON) for 4 weeks before and 6 weeks after an influenza vaccination. MEASUREMENTS: Influenza vaccine antibody responses, immunophenotyping, lymphocyte activation, cytokines, and clinical measures (fever, number of prescribed antibiotics). RESULTS: Ninety-two subjects (n = 40, CON; n = 52, EXP) completed the study. Geometric mean antibody titers were similar between groups, yet the percentage of subjects with H1N1 antibody titers greater than 100 postvaccination was higher in the EXP group than in the CON group (43% vs 23%, P=.047). Similar trends were found for the percentage of subjects (intent to treat) with fourfold increases against the B/Hong Kong component (64% vs 46%, P = .09) or with H3N2 antibody titers of 40 or more (97% vs 89%, P=.06). EXP subjects had higher levels of influenza-activated lymphocytes (CD69+ and CD25+). Cytokine production after mitogen activation was lower in EXP than CON subjects (interleukin (IL)-6: 20+/-3 vs 29+/-3 ng/mL, P = .045; IL-10: 310+/-60 vs 603+/-140 pg/mL, P = .06). Fewer EXP subjects were treated for fever (5% vs 16%, P = .02) or prescribed antibiotics (7 vs 11 new antibiotics/100 days of study, P = .06). CONCLUSION: Seniors consuming the EXP formula demonstrated enhanced immune function, indicated by increased influenza vaccine response and lymphocyte activation, less fever, and fewer newly prescribed antibiotics than those consuming a standard ready-to-drink nutritional supplement.

Aged↗

Novel nutritional immune formula maintains host defense mechanisms.

Military combat and training stress induce immune changes that increase the risk of infection and ultimately influence soldiers' performance and readiness. Strenuous military training/assessment provides a uniform stress and the opportunity to evaluate nutritional strategies to minimize stress-induced immune changes that predispose soldiers to infection. Immunological changes and effects of a novel nutritional immune formula (NNIF) were examined prospectively in a double-blind, controlled study of 200 soldiers attending Special Forces Assessment and Selection School. Immune function was measured by skin delayed-type hypersensitivity, lymphocyte phenotyping, mitogenic proliferative responses, and granulocyte function. Approximately 50% of soldiers completed the study (control, n = 57; NNIF, n = 50). Several stress-induced lymphocyte changes were observed (decreased mitogen-induced proliferation, T and total lymphocytes, and interferon-gamma-producing lymphocytes and increased percentage of neutrophils). NNIF modified several changes, including delayed-type hypersensitivity responses (NNIF, 78%; control, 59%; p < 0.05), increased proportions of helper T cells, activation of B cells, enhanced neutrophil phagocytosis, and attenuation of declines in certain functional subpopulations (i.e., cytotoxic/ suppressor lymphocytes). Soldiers who consumed NNIF experienced less stress-induced immune impairment, thereby lowering the risk of infection.

Adult↗

Nutritional formula enhanced immune function and reduced days of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection in seniors.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether an experimental nutritional formula, given as a supplement, would reduce days of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and affect antibody and lymphocyte proliferative responses to influenza vaccine. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial was conducted between October 1999 and April 2000. SETTING: Assisted- and independent-living facilities in North Central Florida. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-six individuals, aged 65 and older. INTERVENTION: Subjects received 8 oz/d of an experimental formula containing antioxidants, zinc, selenium, fermentable oligosaccharides, and structured triacylglycerol or an isoenergetic, isonitrogenous control formula for 183 days. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects recorded daily symptoms of URTI. Antibody titers and lymphocyte proliferation to three influenza vaccine components were measured on Days 57 and 183. RESULTS: Eighteen subjects in the control group and 16 subjects in the experimental group consumed an average of 7 ounces of formula daily and completed the 183-day study. Median days of symptoms of URTI were 3 (range 0-69, total days=156) and 0 (range 0-49, total days=78) for the control and experimental groups, respectively (P=.049). On Day 57, seven of 17 (41%) subjects in the control group and 13 of 15 (87%) subjects in the experimental group achieved a fourfold or greater increase in serum antibody titer to A/Beijing (P=.012). Lymphocyte proliferation to influenza vaccine components was greater in the experimental (median=1,365 cpm, range=0-14,955 cpm) than the control group (median=136 cpm, range=0-4,270 cpm) (P=.013). CONCLUSION: Subjects consuming an experimental nutritional formula experienced enhanced immune function and fewer days of URTI symptoms.

Aged↗