Volume 34, Issue 2 pp. 137-144
Original Articles

Immune Status of Infants Fed Soy-Based Formulas With or Without Added Nucleotides for 1 Year: Part 1: Vaccine Responses, and Morbidity

Karin M. Ostrom

Karin M. Ostrom

Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio

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Christopher T. Cordle

Corresponding Author

Christopher T. Cordle

Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Christopher T. Cordle, Ross Products Division, Immunology, 104140 RP4–3, 625 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43215–1724 U.S.A. (e-mail: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this author
Joseph P. Schaller

Joseph P. Schaller

Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio

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Timothy R. Winship

Timothy R. Winship

Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio

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Debra J. Thomas

Debra J. Thomas

Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio

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Joan R. Jacobs

Joan R. Jacobs

Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio

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Mark M. Blatter

Mark M. Blatter

Primary Physicians Research, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Sechin Cho

Sechin Cho

Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, Kansas

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Willis M. Gooch III

Willis M. Gooch III

Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah

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Dan M. Granoff

Dan M. Granoff

Childrens Hospital/Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California

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Howard Faden

Howard Faden

Division of Infectious Diseases, Childrens Hospital, Buffalo, New York

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Larry K. Pickering

Larry K. Pickering

Center for Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A.

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First published: 01 February 2002
Citations: 5

revised March 8

Supported by grants from the Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT

Background

Immunologic development of soy-fed infants has not been extensively studied. Early studies of soy flour–based formulas showed decreased immunoglobulin production when soy protein intake was limited. However, there were no significant differences in rotavirus vaccine responses between breast-fed and soy protein isolate–based formula-fed infants. Nucleotides added to milk-based formula benefit infant immune status, but reports of the immunologic effects of adding nucleotides to soy-based formula are not available. This study evaluated immune status and morbidity of infants fed soy protein isolate formulas with and without added nucleotides for 1 year.

Methods

Newborn, term infants enrolled in a masked 12-month feeding trial were assigned randomly to groups fed soy formula with or without added nucleotides (n = 94, n = 92). A nonrandomized human milk/formula cohort (n = 81) was concurrently enrolled. Recommended immunizations were administered at 2, 4, and 6 months. Immune status was determined from antibody responses to Haemophilus influenzae type b, tetanus, diphtheria, and poliovirus vaccines at 6, 7, and 12 months. Parents and physicians reported morbidity data.

Results

All vaccine responses were within normal ranges. No response differences were observed between infants fed soy formula and those fed nucleotide-supplemented soy. However, antibody to H. influenzae type b at 7 and 12 months was higher in infants fed nucleotide-supplemented soy than in infants fed human milk/formula (P = 0.007, P = 0.008, respectively). Human milk/formula-fed infants had higher poliovirus neutralizing antibody at 12 months than did soy-fed infants (P = 0.016). Morbidity analyses showed that only physician-reported diarrhea was different among groups (groups fed human milk/formula had less diarrhea than did soy groups, P = 0.011).

Conclusions

Term infants fed soy protein isolate–based formulas have normal immune development as measured by antibody responses to childhood immunizations.

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