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Late Breaking/Rapid Science Poster Session 1

(LB02-08-24) Blueberry Consumption as a Complementary Food Associated With Increased Serum Levels of Regulatory Cytokine IL-10 and Lower Levels of TH2 Cytokine IL-13 in Breastfed Infants

Sunday, June 30, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CT
Location: W185A-C - Poster Board 8

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Gabrielle Glime, MA, CLC

    Clinical Research Associate
    University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
    Aurora, Colorado, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • CV

    Carina Venter, PhD, RD

    Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
    University of Colorado School of Medicine
    Aurora, Colorado, United States

  • KP

    Kaci Pickett-Nairne

    University of Colorado Anschutz, Colorado, United States

  • Nancy F. Krebs, MD, MS (she/her/hers)

    Professor of Pediatrics, Head, Section of Nutrition
    University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
    Aurora, Colorado, United States

  • Wayne W. Campbell, PhD

    Professor
    Purdue University
    Center on Aging and the Life Course
    West Lafayette, Indiana, United States

  • Minghua Tang, PhD

    Associate Professor
    University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
    Aurora, Colorado, United States

Disclosure(s):
Gabrielle Glime, MA, CLC: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: To evaluate the effects of blueberry as a first food in breastfed infant’s immune system development and inflammatory status during early complementary feeding.

Methods: In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, healthy, full-term, exclusively breastfed infants with no prior complementary food exposure were recruited before 5 months of age from metro Denver. Infants were randomized, with sex and race/ethnity stratified, to receive a pre-made freeze-dried blueberry powder or a placebo. Both powders were provided in 10 g packets (equivalent to 2 ounces of fresh blueberries for the blueberry powder). Participants were asked to consume one packet per day from baseline (5-6 months) until 12 months of age. Caregivers were asked not to provide other types of blueberries or blackberries to the participants. Length and weight were measured at baseline, 7, 9, 11 and 12 months. At baseline and 12 months, 2-hour “fasting” blood samples were collected at the Children’s Hospital Colorado Clinical & Translational Research Center by pediatric research nurses. Serum cytokines were analyzed using the V-PLEX Human Biomarker 54-Plex Kit. Non-parametric tests were performed to compare changes between the intervention and the control groups.

Results: N=76 infants were consented and enrolled in the study. Sixty infants completed the study (n=36 male, n=24 female). There was no difference in sex or race/ethnicity between groups. There were no differences in growth Z scores (WAZ or weight-for-age Z, LAZ or length-for-age Z and WLZ or weight-for-length Z) at any time points between groups. IL8 (major pro-inflammatory cytokine) decreased over time in both the intervention (-4.63±6.08) and placebo groups (-5.53±7.28) (effect of time P< 0.0001). Group-by-time interactions for IL10 (p=0.02) and IL13 (P=0.03) were identified. Post hoc analysis showed that IL10 increased (0.95±1.55) (P=0.003) and IL13 decreased (-0.14±0.18) in the blueberry group only (P=0.018).

Conclusions: Findings suggest that consuming blueberry may improve immune tolerance by downregulating allergy-inducing (IL-13) and inflammatory cytokines (Il-8) and upregulating cytokines involved in tolerance development (IL-10) in breastfed infants during early complementary feeding.

Funding Sources: US High Bush Blueberry Council