Effects of arginine supplementation on the humoral and innate immune response of older people

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 59; no. 12; pp. 1362 - 1366
• Main Authors: Moriguti, J.C, Ferriolli, E, Donadi, E.A, Marchini, J.S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing 01-12-2005; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Amino acids; Antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology; Antibody Formation - drug effects; Antibody Formation - physiology; Antigens; Arginine; Arginine - administration & dosage; Arginine - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Chemotaxis; Chemotaxis - drug effects; Clinical nutrition; Complement C3 - immunology; Complement C4 - immunology; Complement component C3; Complement component C4; Cytotoxicity; Dietary Supplements; elderly; elderly nutrition; Female; Human subjects; Humans; humoral immunity; Immune response; Immune response (humoral); Immune system; Immunity, Innate - drug effects; Immunity, Innate - physiology; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Innate immunity; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Leukocyte migration; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Natural killer cells; Neutrophils; Older people; Parameters; phagocytes; Phagocytosis; pneumococcal polysaccaride vaccine; Pneumococcal Vaccines - immunology; Polysaccharides; protein supplements; Serotypes; Streptococcus infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Toxicity; Vaccination; Vaccines; Brazil; Human; Immune response; Nutrition; aged; Vaccine; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Prevention; Streptococcaceae; Immunoprophylaxis; Arginine; Aminoacid; immune function; pneumococcal vaccine; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Supplementation; Elderly; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602247

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether oral supplementation with arginine affects the humoral and innate immune response after vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae in a group of people aged 60 y and older, free-living in the community. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial with one supplemented group and one control group.Setting: Older persons living in the community. SUBJECTS: A total of 29 adults aged 60 y and older. INTERVENTIONS: The older people were randomized into two groups, one with arginine supplementation (15 g/day) for 4 weeks after pneumococcal vaccine. The control group received only the vaccine. Anthropometric measurements and immune system function parameters: neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytosis, natural killer cell activity, determination of serum pneumococcal polysaccharide antibodies and serum C3 and C4. RESULTS: Neutrophil phagocytosis and the serum concentration of complement (C3 and C4) did not differ between groups. IgG antibodies against pneumococcal polysaccharide serotypes 1, 5 and 6B increased in both groups. The following parameters increased in the arginine-supplemented group compared to the nonsupplemented group: neutrophil chemotaxis (34 vs 19 units of migration, P = 0.002), natural killer cell cytotoxicity (23.3 vs 13.4 10 M/Ul 40%, P = 0.011) and IgG against antigen 5 (12.3 vs 6.2 microgram/ml, P = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that, after the pneumococcal vaccine, the intake of arginine increased neutrophil chemotaxis, natural killer cytotoxicity and serum concentration of IgG against antigen 5 in older people. These results suggest that arginine supplementation may enhance the immune response elicited by the pneumococcal vaccine in older people.