Vitamin E supplementation enhances cell-mediated immunity in healthy elderly subjects
1990
Meydani, S.N. | Barklund, M.P. | Liu, S. | Meydani, M. | Miller, R.A. | Cannon, J.G. | Morrow, F.D. | Rocklin, R. | Blumberg, J.B.
The effect of vitamin E supplementation on the immune response of healthy older adults was studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Subjects (n = 32) resided in a metabolic research unit and received placebo or vitamin E (800 mg dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) for 30 d. Alpha-tocopherol content of plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), delayed-type hypersensitivity skin test (DTH), mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation, as well as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, prostaglandin (PG) E2, and serum lipid peroxides were evaluated before and after treatment. In the vitamin E-supplemented group 1) alpha-tocopherol content was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) in plasma and PBMCS, 2) cumulative diameter and number of positive antigen responses in DTH response were elevated (p < 0.05), 3) IL-2 production and mitogenic response to optimal doses of concanavalin A were increased (p < 0.05), and 4) PGE2 synthesis by PBMCS (p < 0.005) and plasma lipid peroxides (p < 0.001) were reduced. Short-term vitamin E supplementation improves immune responsiveness in healthy elderly individuals; this effect appears to be mediated by a decrease in PGE2 and/or other lipid-peroxidation products.
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