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Association between whole‐body vitamin A stores and vaccine response
Author(s) -
Ahmad Shaikh Meshbahuddin,
Haskell Marjorie J,
Raqib Rubhana,
Stephensen Charles B
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a742
Subject(s) - toxoid , placebo , vitamin , retinol , medicine , titer , immune system , immunology , placebo group , antibody , endocrinology , immunization , pathology , alternative medicine
Increasing low body vitamin A stores may improve immune function. To test this hypothesis we used a double‐blind randomized design involving 36 men screened for low serum retinol. The men were fed a diet low in vitamin A. Half received oral vitamin A supplements (240 mg over 5 d) and half received placebo. One week later subjects were vaccinated with yellow fever (YF) and tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccines. Vaccine specific responses were evaluated before (d0), 7 and 28 d after vaccination. Whole‐body vitamin A stores were measured by the deuterated‐retinol‐dilution technique. After supplementation the vitamin A pool size for placebo subjects was 17 ± 12 mg and for vitamin A subjects was 64 ± 17 mg (p < 0.01). The vitamin A group showed small to medium level positive effects on YF‐specific proliferation (d0, d7, d28) and on YF‐specific IL‐4 (d0, d7), IL‐10 (d28), IFN‐g (d0, d28), TNF‐a (d0, d7, d28) and IL‐5 (d7, d28) production. The corresponding post‐vaccine changes were smaller in the placebo group, but direct comparisons of the vitamin A and placebo groups were not significant. Vitamin A was also associated with increases in TT‐specific proliferation (d7, d28), IL‐2 (d0, d7) and IL‐10 (d0) production, but again did not differ significantly from the placebo. Serum YF and TT antibody titers did not differ by treatment. In conclusion, vitamin A supplementation increased body stores and tended to enhance vaccine responses.