Effect of Vitamin C Supplements on Cell-Mediated Immunity in Old People

Kennès, Bernard; Dumont, Isabelle; Brohée, Dany; Hubert, Claude; Nève, Pierre

doi:10.1159/000213131

Cited by 114 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…by phagocytes during a viral infection [6,[34][35][36][37]. Also, vitamin C may enhance the proliferative responses of T-lymphocytes [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46], and increase the production of interferon [47][48][49][50][51].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitamin C and the common cold: a retrospective analysis of Chalmers' review.

Hemilä

Herman

1995

Journal of the American College of Nutrition

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Problems in influential reviews on vitamin C and the common cold are discussed also in:Hemilä H. Vitamin C supplementation and common cold symptoms: problems with inaccurate reviews. Nutrition 1996;12:804-809 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0899-9007(96)00223-7 http://hdl.handle.net/10250/7979 Manuscript version with links to references added.In his review, Chalmers put a great weight on the Karlowski (1975) study. However, the Karlowski study was shown to be erroneously analysed in 1996: Hemilä H. Vitamin C, the placebo effect, and the common cold: a case study of how preconceptions influence the analysis of results. Using data from the same studies, we calculated that vitamin C (1-6 g/day) decreased the duration of the cold episodes by 0.93 ± 0.22 (SE) days; the relative decrease in the episode duration was 21%. The current notion that vitamin C has no effect on the common cold seems to be based in large part on a faulty review written two decades ago.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitamin C and the common cold: a retrospective analysis of Chalmers' review.

Hemilä

Herman

1995

Journal of the American College of Nutrition

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“…With higher doses (60 and 250 mg/day) the DTH response was normalized [47] . Vitamin C supplementation (500 mg/ day for 1 month) resulted in a significant increase in the proliferative response of T lymphocytes to PHA and concanavalin A in older people ( 1 70 years) known to have reduced vitamin C plasma and leukocyte concentrations, even if free living [49] .…”

Section: Vitamin B 12mentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of Selected Vitamins and Trace Elements to Immune Function

Wintergerst

Maggini²,

Hornig³

2007

Ann Nutr Metab

622

494

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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 B₆, folate, B₁₂, 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.

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“…With higher doses (60 and 250 mg/day) the DTH response was normalized, but lymphocyte proliferation was not affected [37] . In older people, known to have reduced vitamin C plasma and leukocyte concentrations even if they are not institutionalized, vitamin C supplementation resulted in enhanced cell-mediated immunity [39] . Intracellular concentrations of vitamin C in human leukocytes have been shown to decline with increasing age, accompanied by neutrophil function impairment.…”

Section: Vitamin C and The Immune Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Immune-Enhancing Role of Vitamin C and Zinc and Effect on Clinical Conditions

Wintergerst

Maggini

Hornig³

2006

Ann Nutr Metab

355

292

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Vitamin C concentrations in the plasma and leukocytes rapidly decline during infections and stress. Supplementation of vitamin C was found to improve components of the human immune system such as antimicrobial and natural killer cell activities, lymphocyte proliferation, chemotaxis, and delayed-type hypersensitivity. Vitamin C contributes to maintaining the redox integrity of cells and thereby protects them against reactive oxygen species generated during the respiratory burst and in the inflammatory response. Likewise, zinc undernutrition or deficiency was shown to impair cellular mediators of innate immunity such as phagocytosis, natural killer cell activity, and the generation of oxidative burst. Therefore, both nutrients play important roles in immune function and the modulation of host resistance to infectious agents, reducing the risk, severity, and duration of infectious diseases. This is of special importance in populations in which insufficient intake of these nutrients is prevalent. In the developing world, this is the case in low- and middle-income countries, but also in subpopulations in industrialized countries, e.g. in the elderly. A large number of randomized controlled intervention trials with intakes of up to 1 g of vitamin C and up to 30 mg of zinc are available. These trials document that adequate intakes of vitamin C and zinc ameliorate symptoms and shorten the duration of respiratory tract infections including the common cold. Furthermore, vitamin C and zinc reduce the incidence and improve the outcome of pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea infections, especially in children in developing countries.

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Effect of Vitamin C Supplements on Cell-Mediated Immunity in Old People

Cited by 114 publications

References 4 publications

Vitamin C and the common cold: a retrospective analysis of Chalmers' review.

Vitamin C and the common cold: a retrospective analysis of Chalmers' review.

Contribution of Selected Vitamins and Trace Elements to Immune Function

Immune-Enhancing Role of Vitamin C and Zinc and Effect on Clinical Conditions

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