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Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 25, No. 4, 300-306 (2006)
Published by the American College of Nutrition

Effect of Concomitant Consumption of Fish Oil and Vitamin E on T Cell Mediated Function in the Elderly: A Randomized Double-Blind Trial

Dayong Wu, MD, PhD, Sung Nim Han, PhD, RD, Mohsen Meydani, DVM, PhD and Simin Nikbin Meydani, DVM, PhD

The Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts

Address reprint requests to: Simin Nikbin Meydani, Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111. E-mail: simin.meydani{at}tufts.edu

Objectives: To determine if concomitant consumption of fish oil and vitamin E would modify the vitamin E level needed for improving T cell mediated function in elderly.

Methods: A randomized and double-blind study was conducted using 40 healthy male and female elderly subjects (>65 y) who were randomly assigned to one of 4 groups (n = 10/group). All the subjects received 5 g of fish oil daily containing 1.5 g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1 g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and a capsule containing different doses of dl-{alpha}-tocopherol (0, 100, 200 or 400 mg/day) for 3 mo. Plasma vitamin E and fatty acid levels, and in vivo [delayed-type hypersensitivity skin response (DTH) and T cell sub-population analysis] and ex vivo [mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) proliferation and interleukin (IL)-2 production] immune functions were determined at baseline and after supplementation.

Results: The control group (fish oil only) did not show a statistically significant change in either DTH or PBMC proliferation. DTH response, however, was significantly increased from baseline in all groups supplemented with fish oil plus vitamin E and a significant positive correlation between DTH response and plasma concentrations of {alpha}-tocopherol was observed. PBMC proliferation was only significantly increased in the group supplemented with fish oil plus 200 mg vitamin E. However, the changes caused by fish oil plus vitamin E in either DTH or PBMC proliferation were not significantly different from those observed in control group. Plasma levels of {alpha}-tocopherol were significantly increased in all three fish oil plus vitamin E groups and the increase in plasma {alpha}-tocopherol level was less profound than that previously reported when vitamin E was given alone.

Conclusions: The immuno-enhancing effect of vitamin E in the elderly is dampened when it is concomitantly consumed with fish oil. This may be due to the smaller increase in plasma concentrations of vitamin E in the presence of fish oil.

Key words: vitamin E, fish oil, n-3 fatty acids, immune function, aging






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Copyright © 2006 by the American College of Nutrition.