(P14-001-24) Effects of Daily Egg Intake on the Transcriptomic and Proteomic Profiles of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Objectives: The effects of eggs consumption on immune profiles and inflammatory markers have yielded variable pro- and anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory results across studies. Thus, we evaluated whether intake of different egg-based diets altered transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of subject peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to identify potential mechanisms by which eggs can mediate cellular effects and explain differential responses across individuals.

Methods: Healthy men and women participated in a 16-week randomized, crossover intervention trial in which they consumed 3 whole eggs/day or 3 egg whites/day following a 4-week egg-free run-in period. Participants then switched to the alternative egg diet following a second 4-week egg-free washout period. Fasted blood samples were collected after each diet period to isolate subject PBMCs for transcriptomic analysis by mRNA-seq and whole cell proteomic fingerprinting by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS, n = 18).

Results: Subject PBMCs had distinct proteomic fingerprints following whole egg intake compared to the egg-free and egg white diets. In contrast, transcriptomic analysis of subject-derived PBMCs by mRNA-seq did not reveal significant differential gene expression across diet periods in unadjusted models, or when controlling for sex, age, or baseline BMI. However, significant variability in interindividual PBMC expression patterns in response to different egg diets was observed; thus, ongoing analyses seek to determine whether differential transcriptomic shifts across participants correspond to clinical, proteomic, or functional immune measures we have previously observed.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that daily whole egg intake induces distinct shifts in global proteomic fingerprints, and that further research is warranted to determine whether variability in diet-induced transcriptomic profiles provides meaningful insight into mechanisms underlying interindividual responses to dietary intervention.

Funding Sources: This study was funded by an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and an exploratory grant from the University of Connecticut.