Effect of 50- and 100-mg vitamin E supplements on cellular immune function in noninstitutionalized elderly persons
Open accessAbstract
Background It has been suggested that vitamin E can counteract the age-associated decline in cellular immune responsiveness (CIR). Particularly, T helper cell type 1 (Th1) activity, ie, interferon (IFN) gamma-producing Th1 activity and, hence, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) would be enhanced by vitamin E supplementation.Objective Our aim was to study the effects of 6 mo supplementation with 50 and 100 mg vitamin E on CIR in the elderly.Design A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 161 healthy elderly subjects aged 65-80 y. CIR was measured in vivo by means of DTH skin tests and in vitro by assessing the production of interleukin (IL) 2, IFN-gamma (a typical Th1 cytokine), and IL-4 (a typical Th2 cytokine) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin.Results Both DTH and IL-2 production showed a trend toward increased responsiveness with increasing dose of vitamin E. However, IFN-gamma production decreased whereas IL-4 production increased in the groups receiving vitamin E. Only the change in the number of positive DTH reactions was borderline significantly larger in the 100-mg vitamin E group than in the placebo group (P = 0.06, Bonferroni adjusted). Subjects receiving 100 mg vitamin E with low baseline DTH reactivity or who were physically less active had a significantly larger increase in the cumulative diameter of the skin induration resulting from the DTH test than did the placebo group (P = 0.03), although this difference was not significant after Bonferroni correction (P = 0.07).Conclusion Possible beneficial effects of 100-mg vitamin E supplementation may be more pronounced in particular subgroups of elderly subjects.
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Vitamin supplementation studies in older adults have demonstrated a role for vitamin E in the production of IL-2 and activation-induced T cell proliferation in naïve but not memory T cells.
“Vitamin supplementation studies in older adults have demonstrated a role for vitamin E in the production of IL-2 as well as the activation induced T cell proliferation in naïve but not in memory T cells (78, 113–115).”
From Immunosenescence and Its Hallmarks: How to Oppose Aging Strategically? A Review of Potential Options for Therapeutic Intervention (2019) · cites this paper as [115]
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- Authors
- Pallast, E. G., Schouten, E. G., de Waart, F. G., Fonk, H. C., Doekes, G., von Blomberg, B. M., & Kok, F. J.
- Affiliations
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Schouten, Evert G
- ORCID
- Kok, Frans J
- Venue
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1999-06
- Volume
- 69
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1273-1281
- ISSN
- 0002-9165 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1846414368
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 5.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutrition and Health Studies
- Keywords
- vitamin E supplementation, cellular immune function, older adults, age-related immune decline, delayed-type hypersensitivity, interferon-gamma, interleukin-2, IL-4, Th1/Th2 balance, phytohemagglutinin, physical activity, dose-response relationship
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Hypersensitivity, Delayed, Immunity, Cellular, Interleukins, Male, Netherlands, Vitamin E, Body Mass Index
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