Re: STUDY: Iron and Immune Function

[Guest guest]

Do your tests indicate you're defecient in iron? My most recent spectra cell tests show me to be defecient in 3 of the Bs, D and zinc. Also asparagine, which I haven't been able to find at my health food store. I had a hair analysis done by Dr. some years back which showed me to be defecient in every single mineral. The guy who helped me with my supplementation told me he'd never seen such defeciencies in a living person. Unfortunately, extreme supplementing didn't really help me feel any better. There were a few exceptions here and there (bs, magnesium, chromium), which I'm grateful to have learned about, but in general it was a lot of effort and tremendous expense with little result. penny kdrbrill <kdrbrill@...> wrote: Not on CFS patients, but...interesting...1: Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):516-21.Click here to read LinksImmune function is impaired in iron-deficient, homebound, older women.Ahluwalia N, Sun J, Krause D, Mastro A, Handte G.Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.BACKGROUND: Aging is often associated with a dysregulation of immune function. Iron deficiency may further impair immunity in older adults. Published reports on iron deficiency and immune response in humans are inconsistent. Most

studies are focused on young children in developing countries and are often confounded by comorbid conditions, infections, and nutrient deficiencies. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the relation of iron status with immune function in homebound older women, who often have impairments in both iron status and immune response. The subjects were selected according to rigorous exclusion criteria for disease, infection, and deficiencies in key nutrients known to affect immunocompetence. DESIGN: Seventy-two homebound elderly women provided blood for comprehensive evaluation of iron status and cell-mediated and innate immunity. Women were classified as iron-deficient or iron-sufficient on the basis of multiple abnormal iron status test results. Groups were compared with respect to lymphocyte subsets, phagocytosis, oxidative burst capacity, and T cell proliferation upon stimulation with mitogens. RESULTS: In

iron-deficient women, T cell proliferation upon stimulation with concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin A was only 40-50% of that in iron-sufficient women. Phagocytosis did not differ significantly between the 2 groups, but respiratory burst was significantly less (by 28%) in iron-deficient women than in iron-sufficient women. CONCLUSIONS: Iron deficiency is associated with impairments in cell-mediated and innate immunity and may render older adults more vulnerable to infections. Further prospective studies using similar exclusion criteria for disease, infection, and concomitant nutrient deficiencies are needed for simultaneous examination of the effects of iron deficiency on immune response and morbidity.

[Guest guest]

WOW! Your ferratin was 53???? Mine was 8 at one point! Crap! LOL! But, now I've had endometrial ablation and I find out next Thursday what my ferratin is up to now. I also have MS, so I'm wondering about the Immune issue.

KLSGet a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

[Guest guest]

Hi Penny,

Haven't had a ferritin test in awhile -- think the last one was 53-ish or so --

kind of the

low-end of " normal " . Wish I could afford that spectra-cell testing...

I just know that in the past -- whenever I've taken iron -- along with other

co-factors

(Very important as you say) -- I've " recovered " , at least for 9 months to a year

or so. But

I've been spooked into worrying that it might worsen things...so am more

cautious lately.

I did the testing as well -- probably four years ago. I was okay in most

things

exceept trace minerals (almost absent) and my potassium was HIGH, sodium very

low.

Worn out adrenals, they said..................?

d

> Not on CFS patients, but...interesting...

>

> 1: Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):516-21.Click here to read Links

> Immune function is impaired in iron-deficient, homebound, older women.

> Ahluwalia N, Sun J, Krause D, Mastro A, Handte G.

>

> Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University,

University Park,

> PA 16802, USA.

>

> BACKGROUND: Aging is often associated with a dysregulation of immune function.

Iron

> deficiency may further impair immunity in older adults. Published reports on

iron

> deficiency and immune response in humans are inconsistent. Most studies are

focused

on

> young children in developing countries and are often confounded by comorbid

conditions,

> infections, and nutrient deficiencies.

>

> OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the relation of iron status with

immune

> function in homebound older women, who often have impairments in both iron

status

and

> immune response. The subjects were selected according to rigorous exclusion

criteria

for

> disease, infection, and deficiencies in key nutrients known to affect

immunocompetence.

>

> DESIGN: Seventy-two homebound elderly women provided blood for comprehensive

> evaluation of iron status and cell-mediated and innate immunity. Women were

classified

> as iron-deficient or iron-sufficient on the basis of multiple abnormal iron

status test

> results. Groups were compared with respect to lymphocyte subsets,

phagocytosis,

> oxidative burst capacity, and T cell proliferation upon stimulation with

mitogens.

>

> RESULTS: In iron-deficient women, T cell proliferation upon stimulation with

concanavalin

> A and phytohemagglutinin A was only 40-50% of that in iron-sufficient women.

> Phagocytosis did not differ significantly between the 2 groups, but

respiratory burst was

> significantly less (by 28%) in iron-deficient women than in iron-sufficient

women.

>

> CONCLUSIONS: Iron deficiency is associated with impairments in cell-mediated

and

innate

> immunity and may render older adults more vulnerable to infections. Further

prospective

> studies using similar exclusion criteria for disease, infection, and

concomitant nutrient

> deficiencies are needed for simultaneous examination of the effects of iron

deficiency

on

> immune response and morbidity.

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/16/2007 3:09:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time, janel@... writes:

Mine was 7, I win!

Nelly

LOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!! Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

[Guest guest]

Personally, if you feel better when you take iron, then I'd say take iron. That's about the only thing we've really got going for us. Every thing else is pretty much theory, and theories change with the direction of the wind. penny kdrbrill <kdrbrill@...> wrote: Hi Penny,Haven't had a ferritin test in awhile -- think the last one was 53-ish or so -- kind of the low-end of "normal". Wish I could afford that spectra-cell testing...I

just know that in the past -- whenever I've taken iron -- along with other co-factors (Very important as you say) -- I've "recovered", at least for 9 months to a year or so. But I've been spooked into worrying that it might worsen things...so am more cautious lately.I did the testing as well -- probably four years ago. I was okay in most things exceept trace minerals (almost absent) and my potassium was HIGH, sodium very low. Worn out adrenals, they said..................?d> Not on CFS patients, but...interesting...> > 1: Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):516-21.Click here to read Links> Immune function is impaired in iron-deficient, homebound, older women.> Ahluwalia N, Sun J, Krause D, Mastro A, Handte G.> > Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park,

> PA 16802, USA.> > BACKGROUND: Aging is often associated with a dysregulation of immune function. Iron > deficiency may further impair immunity in older adults. Published reports on iron > deficiency and immune response in humans are inconsistent. Most studies are focused on > young children in developing countries and are often confounded by comorbid conditions, > infections, and nutrient deficiencies. > > OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the relation of iron status with immune > function in homebound older women, who often have impairments in both iron status and > immune response. The subjects were selected according to rigorous exclusion criteria for > disease, infection, and deficiencies in key nutrients known to affect immunocompetence. > > DESIGN: Seventy-two homebound elderly women provided blood for comprehensive > evaluation of

iron status and cell-mediated and innate immunity. Women were classified > as iron-deficient or iron-sufficient on the basis of multiple abnormal iron status test > results. Groups were compared with respect to lymphocyte subsets, phagocytosis, > oxidative burst capacity, and T cell proliferation upon stimulation with mitogens. > > RESULTS: In iron-deficient women, T cell proliferation upon stimulation with concanavalin > A and phytohemagglutinin A was only 40-50% of that in iron-sufficient women. > Phagocytosis did not differ significantly between the 2 groups, but respiratory burst was > significantly less (by 28%) in iron-deficient women than in iron-sufficient women. > > CONCLUSIONS: Iron deficiency is associated with impairments in cell-mediated and innate > immunity and may render older adults more vulnerable to infections. Further prospective > studies using similar

exclusion criteria for disease, infection, and concomitant nutrient > deficiencies are needed for simultaneous examination of the effects of iron deficiency on > immune response and morbidity.>

[Guest guest]

Mine was 7, I win!

Nelly

Re: [infections] Re: STUDY: Iron and Immune Function

WOW! Your ferratin was 53???? Mine was 8 at one point! Crap! LOL! But, now I've had endometrial ablation and I find out next Thursday what my ferratin is up to now. I also have MS, so I'm wondering about the Immune issue.

KLS

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

[Guest guest]

Nice to see you have a sense of humor about it Nelly! I think that's what's

kept me going

too, despite the negatives.

Here's a link from Medline that shows how ridiculously wide the " normal " range

is for

ferritin, and reiterates " The lower the ferritin level, even within the " normal "

range, the

more likely it is that the patient does not have enough iron. "

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003490.htm

I'd like to try and get mine up to say 100, but will have it checked first, as I

have an appt

w/my medicaid (non)-doctor tomorrow...

Dan

--- In infections , " Nelly Pointis " <janel@...>

wrote:

>

> Mine was 7, I win!

>

> Nelly

> Re: [infections] Re: STUDY: Iron and Immune Function

>

>

> WOW! Your ferratin was 53???? Mine was 8 at one point! Crap! LOL! But, now

I've had

endometrial ablation and I find out next Thursday what my ferratin is up to now.

I also

have MS, so I'm wondering about the Immune issue.

>

> KLS

>

>

>

>

>

>

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