STUDY: Iron and Immune Function

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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.