Contribution of selected vitamins and trace elements to immune function

被引:446
作者
Wintergerst, Eva S.
Maggini, Silvia
Hornig, Dietrich H.
机构
[1] Bayer Consumer Care Ltd, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
[2] Bayer Consumer Care Ltd, CH-4002 Reinach, Switzerland
关键词
vitamins; B-6; folate; B-12; C; A; D; E; trace elements; selenium; zinc; copper; iron; nutrient deficiency; supplementation;
D O I
10.1159/000107673
中图分类号
R5 [内科学];
学科分类号
1002 ; 100201 ;
摘要
Adequate intakes of vitamins and trace elements are required for the immune system to function efficiently. Micronutrient deficiency suppresses immune functions by affecting the innate T-cell-mediated immune response and adaptive antibody response, and leads to dysregulation of the balanced host response. This increases the susceptibility to infections, with increased morbidity and mortality. In turn, infections aggravate micronutrient deficiencies by reducing nutrient intake, increasing losses, and interfering with utilization by altering metabolic pathways. Insufficient intake of micronutrients occurs in people with eating disorders, in smokers ( both active and passive), in individuals with chronic alcohol abuse, in patients with certain diseases, during pregnancy and lactation, and in the elderly. With aging a variety of changes are observed in the immune system, which translate into less effective innate and adaptive immune responses and increased susceptibility to infections. Antioxidant vitamins and trace elements (vitamins C, E, selenium, copper, and zinc) counteract potential damage caused by reactive oxygen species to cellular tissues and modulate immune cell function through regulation of redox-sensitive transcription factors and affect production of cytokines and prostaglandins. Adequate intake of vitamins B 6, folate, B 12, C, E, and of selenium, zinc, copper, and iron supports a Th1 cytokine-mediated immune response with sufficient production of proinflammatory cytokines, which maintains an effective immune response and avoids a shift to an anti-inflammatory Th2 cell-mediated immune response and an increased risk of extracellular infections. Supplementation with these micronutrients reverses the Th2 cell-mediated immune response to a proinflammatory Th1 cytokine-regulated response with enhanced innate immunity. Vitamins A and D play important roles in both cell-mediated and humoral antibody response and support a Th2-mediated anti-inflammatory cytokine profile. Vitamin A deficiency impairs both innate immunity (mucosal epithelial regeneration) and adaptive immune response to infection resulting in an impaired ability to counteract extracellular pathogens. Vitamin D deficiency is correlated with a higher susceptibility to infections due to impaired localized innate immunity and defects in antigen-specific cellular immune response. Overall, inadequate intake and status of these vitamins and minerals may lead to suppressed immunity, which predisposes to infections and aggravates malnutrition. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.
引用
收藏
页码:301 / 323
页数:23
相关论文
共 183 条
[1]  
Ahluwalia N, 2004, AM J CLIN NUTR, V79, P516
[2]   Markers to measure immunomodulation in human nutrition intervention studies [J].
Albers, R ;
Antoine, JM ;
Bourdet-Sicard, R ;
Calder, PC ;
Gleeson, M ;
Lesourd, B ;
Samartín, S ;
Sanderson, IR ;
Van Loo, J ;
Vas Dias, FW ;
Watzl, B .
BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, 2005, 94 (03) :452-481
[3]   OXIDANTS, ANTIOXIDANTS, AND THE DEGENERATIVE DISEASES OF AGING [J].
AMES, BN ;
SHIGENAGA, MK ;
HAGEN, TM .
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1993, 90 (17) :7915-7922
[4]   EFFECTS OF INCREASING WEEKLY DOSES OF ASCORBATE ON CERTAIN CELLULAR AND HUMORAL IMMUNE FUNCTIONS IN NORMAL VOLUNTEERS [J].
ANDERSON, R ;
OOSTHUIZEN, R ;
MARITZ, R ;
THERON, A ;
VANRENSBURG, AJ .
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION, 1980, 33 (01) :71-76
[5]   Zinc intake and status in middle-aged and older European subjects: the ZENITH study [J].
Andriollo-Sanchez, M ;
Hininger-Favier, I ;
Meunier, N ;
Toti, E ;
Zaccaria, M ;
Brandolini-Bunlon, M ;
Polito, A ;
O'Connor, JM ;
Ferry, M ;
Coudray, C ;
Roussel, AM .
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION, 2005, 59 (Suppl 2) :S37-S41
[6]  
ANKRUST P, 2000, EUR J CLIN INVEST, V30, P252
[7]  
[Anonymous], MONOGR SER WORLD HLT
[8]  
[Anonymous], 1993, Effectiveness of vitamin A supplementation in the control of young child morbidity and mortality in developing countries
[9]  
Arthur JR, 2003, J NUTR, V133, p1457S, DOI 10.1093/jn/133.5.1457S
[10]  
Bailey LB, 2006, PRESENT KNOWLEDGE NU, P278