INTERACTIONS BETWEEN NUTRITION AND IMMUNITY IN ANOREXIA-NERVOSA - A 1-Y FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Nutritional status and immunocompetence were evaluated in 15 patients suffering from anorexia nervosa in comparison with a control group (n = 15). After 1 y, data from six phases of the study were evaluated: im mediately after admittance to the hospital (AN1), after 1 mo (AN2), af ter 2 mo (AN3), after 3 mo (AN4), after 6 mo (AN5), and after 1 y (AN6 ). Patients recovered weight from AN4 until AN6 although, according to body mass index values, all patients had low weights during the 1-y f ollow-up. Likewise, leukocyte and lymphocyte values were borderline an d lower in patients in all phases tested than in control subjects. All lymphocyte subpopulations were lower in AN1 and AN2 patients (inpatie nts) than in control subjects, except fur CD19 cells, which remained u nmodified. There seemed to be a recovery of lymphocyte subsets after h ospitalization in AN3 and AN4 patients (outpatients), except for CD57, which remained below control values. However, there was a global decr ease of the lymphocyte subsets in AN5 and AN6. Ratios of CD4 to CD8 ce lls were not altered but the ratio of CD2 to CD19 cells was lower in a ll phases except AN6. Moreover, cell-mediated immune function was impa ired and none of the patients showed normal responses. Thus, despite t he slight weight increase found in AN4, AN5, and AN6 and the apparent cell subset recovery after hospitalization, these results suggest a gr eatly depleted nutritional status that remained during the whole year in all patients.