EFFECT OF VITAMIN AND TRACE-ELEMENT SUPPLEMENTATION ON IMMUNE INDEXESIN HEALTHY ELDERLY

Aging is associated with a progressive decline in the immune system an d a greater susceptibility to infection. This double-blind, placebo-co ntrolled study, examined the effect of a vitamin and trace element sup plement on immune responses of healthy, noninstitutionalized elderly s ubjects. Forty-seven subjects aged 61-79 years were randomly assigned to receive placebo or micronutrient supplementation for one year Thirt y-Jive individuals completed the one-year study. Immune function was a ssessed before and after the period of supplementation, Cell-mediated immune function assessed by the number of T cells and subsets remained constant in the supplemented group and there was a significant increa se in CD57 natural killer cells. In contrast, a significant decrease i n T cells, CD4 cells, and CD4: CD8 ratio was noted in the placebo grou p. Supplementation with micronutrients can play a crucial role in the maintenance of normal immune function in the elderly.