Effect of vitamin E on the immune response to influenza virus vaccine and the incidence of infectious disease in man

Abstract

Dietary antioxidants may ameliorate the increasing susceptibility to infectious disease with age as they have been shown to enhance both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. To evaluate this possibility, the effect of vitamin E at 0, 200 mg and 400 mg per day was determined on the humoral responses by 103 patients (aged 24–104) in a chronic care facility to a polyvalent influenza virus vaccine (Fluogen) and concurrently on the incidence of pulmonary, urinary tract and other infections.

There was no effect of vitamin E on the serum titers or the incidence of infecious disease when the patients were considered as a whole or when divided into those younger or older than 69. These data do not rule out the possibility that more potent immune system stimulating antioxidants, such as 2-mercaptoethylamine or ethoxyquin, may have a clinically significant beneficial effect on infectious disease in older individuals.