AIDS post-HIV : beat of a different drummer - AltHeal

Vitamin E and Beta Carotene Deficiency
In 20 children from 1 to 6 years of age with HIV
infection, vitamin E and beta-carotene plasma
levels were significantly lower than average values
of the control group. The authors feel that the
quantity of vitamins administered to sero p o s i t i v e
c h i l d ren may need to be considerably higher.
[Antioxidant Vitamins and Immunodeficiency.
M a s t roiacovo, P., et al, International Journal of
Vitamin Nutrition Research, 1996;66:141-145.
A d d ress: Dr. P. Mastroiacovo, Institute of General
P h y s i o l o g y, "La Sapienza" University, Faculty of
Pharmacy, 00185 Rome, Italy]
Vitamin E and Infections
In a re t rospective study of 100 healthy persons
over age 60, there was a statistically significant
correlation between serum vitamin E levels and the
number of infections during the previous 3 yrs.
[Chavance M et al. Immunologic and nutritional
status among the elderly, in AL deWeck, Ed.
Lymphoid Cell Function in Aging. Evrage, Rijswijk,
1984].
Vitamin E Deficiency
Of 311 HIV- s e ro p revalent homosexual/bisexual
men, it was shown that men in the highest quartile
of serum vitamin E level, experienced a 34%
lesser risk of pro g ression of AIDS compared to
those in the lowest quartile [Tang AM et al.
Association between serum vitamin A and E levels
and HIV-1 disease pro g ression. AIDS 11:613-20,
1997].
Vitamin E Status and Immune Parameters
This study evaluated the relationship between
plasma levels of IgE and immune parameters in
100 asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive and 42 HIV-
1 seronegative homosexual males. Appro x i m a t e l y
18% of the HIV-1 seropositive population showed
evidence of plasma vitamin E deficiency. There
was a dramatic elevation of IgE levels in 9 vitamin
E deficient seropositive subjects. The low vitamin
E levels are related at least in part to dietary
intake. There was a strong relationship seen
between IgE and CD8 (suppressor cells) and
between IgE level and vitamin E deficiency. These
results show that vitamin E deficiency may be a
contributory factor in IgE elevation (immunoglobulin
dysregulation) during the early stages of HIV
infection. In some studies vitamin E supplementation
has shown enhancement of zidovudine
therapy and improvement in clinical status with
recurrent infections. There appears to be a vitamin
E- induced decrease in the immunosuppre s s o r
p rostaglandin E2 and other lipid pero x i d a t i o n
products seen with improved immune responsiveness
in healthy individuals. [Elevated IgE Level in
Relationship to Nutritional Status and Immune
Parameters in Early Human Immunodeficiency
Virus Type I Disease, Shor- P o s n e r, Gail, Ph.D., et
al, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,
1995;95:886-892. Address: Gail Shor- P o s n e r,
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health,
University of Miami School of Medicine, P.O. Box
01609 (R-669), Miami, FL 33101, U.S.A.]
Vitamin E Supplementation Reduces Oxidative
Stress and Enhances Immune Function
This is a review article on the role of vitamin E in
AIDS. Vitamin E is involved with cytokines, oxidative
stress, general nutrition and general immune
function. Vitamin E is unique in that it is a potential
therapeutic agent that has little, if any, toxicity
when taken orally. In vitamin K deficiency, vitamin
E can exacerbate the defect in coagulation. With
regards to HIV, vitamin E should not be considered
a direct antiretroviral drug, but rather a substance
that enhances immune function and acts as an
antioxidative agent with antiviral effects thro u g h
i n d i rect mechanisms. These mechanisms may
possibly include the inactivation of triggers of HIV
gene expression. Vitamin E may be used in combination
therapy with other pharmacologic agents
such as zidovudine. Vitamin E may increase the
likelihood of more complete viral suppression by
reducing oxidative stress and enhancing immune
function. It may allow antire t roviral drugs to be
used at lower dosages, thereby limiting drug
toxicity and limiting the production of drug- resistant
HIV strains. Clinical trials involving vitamin E
as a potential therapeutic agent in the role of AIDS
have not been done. [Potential Therapeutics of
Vitamin E (To c o p h e rol) in AIDS and HIV. Wa n g ,
Yuejian and Watson, Ronald Ross, Drugs,
1994;48(3):327-338. Address: Dr. Ronald R.
Watson, Department of Family and Community
Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
85724, U.S.A.]
Zinc and Immune Function
Animal studies of zinc deficiency have shown that
a moderate period of suboptimal zinc causes
thymic atro p h y, lymphopenia, and alterations in
the various subsets of lymphocytes and mononuclear
phagocytes causing significant reduction in
antibody-mediated responses to both T- c e l l
dependent and T-cell independent antigens.
Cytolytic T cell responses, natural killer cell
a c t i v i t y, and delayed-type hypersensitivity
reactions are also depressed. In humans with
primary and secondary zinc deficiencies, pts.
exhibit atrophic thymuses, lymphopenia, anerg i c
delayed hypersensitivity responses, and re d u c e d
NK cell activity. Finally, addition of zinc salts to
cultures can polyclonally activate lymphocytes as
well as augment responses to mitogens [Fraker PJ
et al. Interrelationships between zinc and immune
function. Fed Proc 45(5):1474-9, 1986].
Zinc Deficiency and Immune Function
Zinc deficiency is associated with impaire d
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