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Original Research Communications |
Background: It has been suggested that vitamin E can counteract the age-associated decline in cellular immune responsiveness (CIR). Particularly, T helper cell type 1 (Th1) activity, ie, interferon (IFN) 
–producing Th1 activity and, hence, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) would be enhanced by vitamin E supplementation.
Objective: Our aim was to study the effects of 6 mo supplementation with 50 and 100 mg vitamin E on CIR in the elderly.
Design: A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 161 healthy elderly subjects aged 65–80 y. CIR was measured in vivo by means of DTH skin tests and in vitro by assessing the production of interleukin (IL) 2, IFN- (a typical Th1 cytokine), and IL-4 (a typical Th2 cytokine) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells after stimulation with phytohemagglutinin.
Results: Both DTH and IL-2 production showed a trend toward increased responsiveness with increasing dose of vitamin E. However, IFN- production decreased whereas IL-4 production increased in the groups receiving vitamin E. Only the change in the number of positive DTH reactions was borderline significantly larger in the 100-mg vitamin E group than in the placebo group (P = 0.06, Bonferroni adjusted). Subjects receiving 100 mg vitamin E with low baseline DTH reactivity or who were physically less active had a significantly larger increase in the cumulative diameter of the skin induration resulting from the DTH test than did the placebo group (P = 0.03), although this difference was not significant after Bonferroni correction (P = 0.07).
Conclusion: Possible beneficial effects of 100-mg vitamin E supplementation may be more pronounced in particular subgroups of elderly subjects.
Key Words: Elderly • vitamin E • cellular immune response • delayed-type hypersensitivity • T helper cells • cytokines
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