Effects of short-term starvation on the immune response

The effects of total nutritional deprivation on the functions and subpopulations of lymphocytes were studied in ten healthy volunteers after a three-day fast. Peripheral blood samples were analyzed at the beginning and end of the fasting period. There were no changes in leucocyte and differential counts, in the proportion of OKT3 (T lymphocytes), OKT4 (T helper/inducer) or sIg (B lymphocytes) positive cells. A slight increase in the percentage of OKT8 positive (T suppressor/cytotoxic) cells was observed at the end of the fasting period (P<0.05), but the OKT4/OKT8-ratio was unaffected.A significant decrease in lymphocytic proliferative responses to phytohaemagglutinin M (PHA)(P<0.01) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) (P<0.05) in cultures with separated lymphocytes and to PHA (P<0.01) and PWM (P<0.001) in whole blood was detected at the end of fasting. No changes were observed in the concanavalin A (Con A) or Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I (StaCw) induced lymphocytic responses.IgG, IgM and IgA synthesis and secretion by unstimulated and PWM stimulated lymphocytes in the absence or presence of hydrocortisone 10^?5 M or Con A 0.75 μg/ml were also similar before and after the fasting period.It was concluded that a three days starvation period had only minor effects on the immune responses of healthy volunteers.