(The FASEB Journal. 2001;15:2555.)
© 2001 FASEB
Nutrients as regulators of immune function: Introduction 1
SIMIN NIKBIN MEYDANI2 and
KENT L. ERICKSON*
Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA; and
* Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, University of California-Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
2Correspondence: Nutritional Immunology Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111, USA. E -mail: smeydani@hnrc.tufts.edu
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INTRODUCTION
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THE IMPORTANT ROLE of nutrients as regulators of the immune system was first recognized in the early 1800s (1)
. In recent years, through advances in understanding cellular and molecular regulation of the immune system and the metabolism of nutrients and their influence on regulation of signal transduction and gene expression, a critical role for nutrients in modulating immune cell function has been more clearly delineated.
Antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin E and selenium, as well as micro- and macronutrients such as vitamins A, D, and zinc, and fatty acids, have been shown to regulate developmental processes as well as the functions of various cells of the immune system. Several meetings and symposia have broadly reviewed the effects of numerous nutrients on immune function (2)
. Regulation of numerous immune responses may be through nutrient influences on signal transduction and expression of critical immunoregulatory genes (2)
. Nutrients such as selenium and vitamin E have been shown to influence the pathogenicity of viruses such as coxsackievirus B3 and influenza through a direct effect on the viral genome and the immune response of the host (3
, 4)
. A critical role for nutrients in other immune dysregulations such as that of aging, inflammation, and vascular diseases has been demonstrated (5
6
7)
. It is also clear that mediators of the immune system have a profound effect on the metabolism of nutrients.
These advances in understanding the role of nutrients as regulators of immune response and immune-related pathologies are not widely recognized by scientists in the disciplines of nutrition and immunology. Immunologists in particular seem to be largely unaware of these new findings. The purpose of this symposium, cosponsored by the American Society for Nutritional Sciences and The American Association of Immunologists, was to present selected and noteworthy recent findings in the area of nutrient regulation of the immune system and immune-related diseases to nutritionists and immunologists, with the hope of fostering cross-disciplinary research and collaboration. Speakers focused on the potential mechanisms by which nutrients could alter immunity. Because of time limitations, only select nutrients and select mechanisms were discussed. It is clear that even though many advances have been made, much is still unknown, requiring further research. Because of the complex nature of both nutrition and immunology, cross collaborations are essential for advancement in this field.
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FOOTNOTES
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1 From the FASEB 2001 Symposium "Nutrients as Regulators of the Immune System." Chairs: S. Meydani and K. Erickson. 
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REFERENCES
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Beisel, W. R. (1992) History of nutritional immunology: introduction and overview. J. Nutr. 122,591-596
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Proceedings of the Conference on Nutrition and Immunity. Meydani, S. N. Ansari, A. A. eds. Nutrition Reviews 1998;56 ILSI Boston, Massachusetts.
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Beck, M. A., Shi, Q., Morris, V. C., Levander, O. A. (1995) Rapid genomic evolution of a non-virulent coxsackievirus B-3 in selenium-deficient mice results in selection of identical virulent isolates. Nature Med 1,433-436[Medline]
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Hayek, M. G., Taylor, S. F., Bender, B. S., Han, S. N., Meydani, M., Smith, D., Eghtesadi, S., Meydani, S. N. (1997) Vitamin E supplementation decreases lung viral titer in mice infected with influenza. J. Infect. Dis. 176,273-276[Medline]
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Meydani, S. N., Meydani, M., Blumberg, J. B., Leka, L. S., Siber, G., Loszewski, R., Thompson, C., Pedrosa, M. C., Diamond, R. D., Stollar, B. D. (1997) Vitamin E supplementation and in vivo immune response in healthy elderly subjects. A randomized controlled trial. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 277,1380-1386[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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Chandra, R. K. (1992) Effect of vitamin and trace-element supplementation on immune responses and infectious disease in elderly subjects. Lancet 340,1124-1127[Medline]
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Meydani, M. (1998) Nutrition, immune cells, and atherosclerosis. Nutr. Rev. 56,S177-S182[Medline]
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INTRODUCTION
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