Impaired T lymphocyte immune response in vitamin A depleted rats and chicks.

Abstract

Vitamin A deficiency results in decreased immune responses; the objective of the present study was to investigate the involvement of T lymphocytes in the depression of immune responses resulting from vitamin A depletion. This objective was achieved by evaluating antigen-specific T lymphocyte proliferative responses in vitro as vitamin A depletion developed. The evaluation was performed in both rat and chick to examine the generality of immune effects due to vitamin A depletion. Our findings show that vitamin A depletion led to severe impairment of T lymphocyte activity in both animal models, and that this was directly related to the vitamin A status in both species. Immune response impairment was found to precede other manifestations of vitamin A deficiency, and was rapidly corrected by feeding retinyl acetate boluses. This implied a possible regulatory, rather than constitutive, role of vitamin A in immune responsiveness.

• Authors: A Friedman, D Sklan
• Journal: The British journal of nutrition (Br J Nutr) Vol. 62 Issue 2 Pg. 439-49 (Sep 1989) ISSN: 0007-1145 [Print] England
• PMID: 2479411 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Epitopes

Topics

• Animals
• Antibody Formation
• Chickens
• Epitopes (immunology)
• Lymphocyte Activation
• Male
• Rats
• T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Vitamin A Deficiency (immunology)