THE EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION WITH VITAMIN-A, VITAMIN-C AND VITAMIN-E ON CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE FUNCTION IN ELDERLY LONG-STAY PATIENTS - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Thirty elderly long-stay patients were randomly allocated to receive either placebo or dietary supplementation with vitamins A, C and E for 28 days. Nutritional status and cell-mediated immune function were assessed before and after the period of supplementation. Following vitamin supplementation, cell-mediated immune function improved as indicated by a significant increase in the absolute number of T cells (p < 0.05), T4 subsets (p < 0.05), T4 to T8 ratio (p < 0.01) and the proliferation of lymphocytes in response to phytohaemagglutinin (p < 0.01). In contrast, no significant changes were noted in the immune function of the placebo group. We conclude that supplementation with the dietary antioxidants vitamins A, C and E can improve aspects of cell-mediated immune function in elderly long-stay patients.