The nutrition-immunity-infection nexis: The enumeration and functional assessment of lymphocyte subsets in nutritional deficiency |
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Authors: | Ranjit Kumar Chandra |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Pediatrics Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John''s, Newfoundland, Canada;2. Department of Medicine Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John''s, Newfoundland, Canada;3. Department of Biochemistry Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John''s, Newfoundland, Canada |
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Abstract: | Clinical, epidemiologic and pathological evidence suggests that nutritional deficiency impairs host resistance to infection. Changes in immunocompetence occur early in the course of nutritional depletion and may well precede growth failure and overt expression of disease. Cell-mediated immunity is depressed. Undernourished individuals have reduced number of rosette-forming T lymphocytes. There is a significant reduction in the proportion of T4+ helper cells and in their ability to provide help to B cells in mitogen-induced antibody production. The ratio of T4:T8 cells is reduced. Low serum thymic factor activity and increased leukocyte terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase levels suggest faulty terminal differentiation of T cells. Increased lympholysis may also occur, in part as a result of elevated cortisol levels. The migration of labelled lymph node cells to the intestine is reduced. These changes in the number and function of lymphocyte subsets may explain the impaired cell-mediated immunocompetence in protein-energy malnutrition and other nutritional deficiency states. |
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Keywords: | Lymphocyte subpopulations cell traffic cell-mediated immunity nutritional deficiency |
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