RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NUTRITIONAL-STATUS AND IMMUNE FUNCTION OF ELDERLY PEOPLE

Thirty-four malnourished subjects between the ages of 61 and 97 years were given appropriate food supplement(s) for a period of 6 consecutiv e months. They were followed for a subsequent 6 months during which ti me there was no nutritional intervention. Nutritional assessment and i mmunological evaluation were performed at 0, 6, and 12 months. Nutriti onal assessment included anthropometry, biochemistry, and clinical exa mination. Immunological evaluation included serum complement C3 concen tration, delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity skin test, and the enumera tion of total lymphocytes, rosetting T-cells, CD4 + cells, and CD8 + c ells. Immune function improved by the end of the supplementation perio d. Six months of nutritional supplementation significantly increased t he percentage of lymphocytes represented by mature T-cells.