Development of impaired cell-mediated immunity in mild and moderate malnutrition

Abstract

The development of moderate malnutrition and cell-mediated immune function was studied in 71 Colombian infants from birth through 2 yr of age. Based upon weight-for-age criteria 31 remained normal, 33 were classified as grade I, and seven were grade II malnourished at the end of their 2nd yr of life. Delayed hypersensitivity reactions to purified protein derivative were significantly reduced in all malnourished children 8 wk after Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccination at birth, and also at 2 yr in the Grade II group. Nearly half of the latter group could not be sensitized to dinitrochlorobenzene at 2 yr of age. A 50% reduction in the blastogenic response of peripheral blood lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin in vitro was detected in grade II children. Both mildly and moderately malnourished infants exhibited a significant reduction in tonsil size at 2 yr of age. These results indicate that a majority of newborns in this poor, urban setting will develop measurable malnutrition associated with impaired cell-mediated immune function before their 2nd birthday.

Paracoccidioidomycosis in children: clinical presentation, follow-up and outcome

“…Severe malnutrition, which may jeopardize cellular immunity, has been implicated by some into triggering the disease 20,29 . However, the low frequency of children with severe malnutrition observed in the present study and the complete recovery of nutritional status after treatment, suggest that the malnutrition may be secondary to the PCM.…”

“…Deaths may be attributed to the severity of the disseminated forms of PCM in some children, probably immunocompromised by both PCM and malnutrition 20,25,29 .…”

Manson's schistosomiasis in the undernourished mouse: some recent findings

“…During the chronic phase of infection, the Th2 response is modulated and granulomas that form around newly deposited eggs are smaller than at earlier times during infection (Pearce & MacDonald 2002). According to Cunningham-Rundles et al (2005), in the human malnutrition (marasmus) the cellular immune system is more directly affected than the humoral immune system (McMurray et al 1981, Chandra 1983) and in this situation lymphocyte subsets are altered (Nájera et al 2004). Malnutrition is also an important cause of immuno-suppression (Peters-Golden et al 2005).…”

Chest Roentgenogram Classification and Clinical Parameters in Patients with Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

“…*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01. Malnutrition causes reduced cellular immunity apart from aging (7,8). Tuberculin conversion by Bacille Celmette-Guerin vaccination is induced infrequently in malnourished people compared to well nourished (7,9).…”