Effects of a "supplementation" with antioxidant nutrients on the values of circulating immunoglobulins among women recently mastectomized and treated by chemotherapy

Treatment of cancer uses different therapies with side or toxic effects, thus chemotherapy has deleterious effects on the immune system, partly mediated by oxidative stress. The objective of this work is to evaluate the benefits of a supplementation with antioxidant nutrients, in variable duration, among 20 women from 30 to 60 years, who had a breast cancer, recently mastectomized and under chemotherapeutic treatment. Women were distributed in two groups: a group called "G7", composed by 10 women who received a supplementation containing beta-carotene (15 mg), E vitamin with selenium (400 mg of alphatocopherol and 50 mu g of selenium) et C vitamin (2g), during 7 days, and a second group called "G30" composed by 10 women who received the same supplementation during 30 days. The immunoglobulins IgG, IgM and IgA levels in blood were estimated before supplementation, after supplementation and after chemotherapeutic treatment. The statistical analysis of the results, by using the Wilcoxon test, show that, within each group, the IgG, IgM and lgA levels remain in the normal range and don't differ between the various stages of the study. (c) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tons droits reserves.