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Cited by 107Iron Metabolism and DisordersTrace Elements in HealthNutrition and Health in Aging

Immune function is impaired in iron-deficient, homebound, older women

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Ahluwalia, Namanjeet, Sun, Jianqin, Krause, Deanna, Mastro, Andrea, Handte, Gordon·2004·The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
DOI 10.1093/ajcn/79.3.516
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Abstract

Background Aging is often associated with a dysregulation of immune function. Iron deficiency may further impair immunity in older adults. Published reports on iron deficiency and immune response in humans are inconsistent. Most studies are focused on young children in developing countries and are often confounded by comorbid conditions, infections, and nutrient deficiencies.Objective Our objective was to determine the relation of iron status with immune function in homebound older women, who often have impairments in both iron status and immune response. The subjects were selected according to rigorous exclusion criteria for disease, infection, and deficiencies in key nutrients known to affect immunocompetence.Design Seventy-two homebound elderly women provided blood for comprehensive evaluation of iron status and cell-mediated and innate immunity. Women were classified as iron-deficient or iron-sufficient on the basis of multiple abnormal iron status test results. Groups were compared with respect to lymphocyte subsets, phagocytosis, oxidative burst capacity, and T cell proliferation upon stimulation with mitogens.Results In iron-deficient women, T cell proliferation upon stimulation with concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin A was only 40-50% of that in iron-sufficient women. Phagocytosis did not differ significantly between the 2 groups, but respiratory burst was significantly less (by 28%) in iron-deficient women than in iron-sufficient women.Conclusions Iron deficiency is associated with impairments in cell-mediated and innate immunity and may render older adults more vulnerable to infections. Further prospective studies using similar exclusion criteria for disease, infection, and concomitant nutrient deficiencies are needed for simultaneous examination of the effects of iron deficiency on immune response and morbidity.

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  • In two intervention studies with healthy postmenopausal women, intake of genistein at 54 or 40 mg per day for six months did not significantly affect plasma CRP concentrations.

    “In two intervention studies with healthy postmenopausal women, the intake of genistein (54 or 40 mg/d) for 6 months did not significantly affect plasma CRP concentrations (810,811) .”

    From Dietary factors and low-grade inflammation in relation to overweight and obesity (2011) · cites this paper as [810]

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Kuvibidila S, Kitchens D, Baliga BS. In vivo and in vitro iron deficiency reduces protein kinase C activity and translocation in murine splenic and purified T cells. J Cell Biochem 1999;74:468 -78.
  2. Srikantia SG, Siva Prasad J, Bhaskaram C, Krishnamachari KAVR. Anemia and immune response. Lancet 1976;1:1307-9.

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Authors
Ahluwalia, N., Sun, J., Krause, D., Mastro, A., & Handte, G.
Affiliations
Pennsylvania State University (US)
Corresponding author
Ahluwalia, Namanjeet
ORCID
Venue
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2004-03
Volume
79
Issue
3
Pages
516-521
ISSN
0002-9165 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1093/ajcn/79.3.516
OpenAlex
W1942718240
Cited by
107
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
FWCI
2.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Iron Metabolism and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Trace Elements in Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
Keywords
iron deficiency, immune function, older women, homebound older adults, cell-mediated immunity, innate immunity, T cell proliferation, respiratory burst, phagocytosis, lymphocyte subsets, aging, infection susceptibility
MeSH terms
Iron Deficiencies, Aged, Aging, Concanavalin A, Deficiency Diseases, Female, Humans, Immunity, Cellular, Immunity, Innate, Immunocompetence, Iron, Lymphocyte Activation, Middle Aged, Nutritional Status, Phagocytosis, T-Lymphocytes

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