Immune response to influenza vaccine in healthy elderly: lack of association with plasma beta-carotene, retinol, alpha-tocopherol, or zinc

Citation
Em. Gardner et al., Immune response to influenza vaccine in healthy elderly: lack of association with plasma beta-carotene, retinol, alpha-tocopherol, or zinc, MECH AGE D, 117(1-3), 2000, pp. 29-45
Citations number
39
Categorie Soggetti
Cell & Developmental Biology
Journal title
MECHANISMS OF AGEING AND DEVELOPMENT
ISSN journal
00476374 → ACNP
Volume
117
Issue
1-3
Year of publication
2000
Pages
29 - 45
Database
ISI
SICI code
0047-6374(20000815)117:1-3<29:IRTIVI>2.0.ZU;2-0
Abstract
Immunity and nutritional status are compromised with age, yet the relations hip between them is unclear. Immune responses and plasma micronutrient leve ls of 61 healthy elderly (mean 81 years) and 27 young (mean 27 years) were assessed before and after immunization with trivalent influenza vaccine (FL U). FLU-induced proliferation and IFN-gamma levels of elderly were lower th an young before and after immunization. Proliferation and IFN-gamma levels increased after immunization of young, but not elderly. FLU-induced IL-6 an d IL-10 levels did not change after immunization of either group. While ant ibody titers to all three FLU components increased after vaccination of you ng and elderly, post-vaccination titers of elderly were lower than young, A lthough plasma retinol and zinc levels of young and elderly were similar be fore and after vaccination, elderly had higher plasma beta-carotene and alp ha-tocopherol levels at both assessments that increased after vaccination. Importantly, plasma micronutrient levels were comparable for elderly with o r without intact (titers greater than or equal to 40 and fourfold rise post -vaccination) antibody responses after vaccination. These results suggest t hat differences in these plasma micronutrients (1) are not required to obse rve decreased FLU responses of healthy elderly compared to young and (2) ar e not associated with differences in antibody responses among healthy elder ly. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.