09.13.18 Immune System Nutrition and Age

Question 1

Significant communication between metabolism and the immune system –> efficient immune response requires tremendous amounts of energy

Answer 1

Crosstalk

Question 2

insufficient energy to generate effective immunity– more prone to microbial infection

Answer 2

Undernourished

Question 3

impaired or overactive immunity- more prone to microbial infections, excess inflammation

Answer 3

Overnourished

Question 4

General term for lack of some or all nutritional elements necessary for human health

Answer 4

Malnutrition

Question 5

disease with insufficient protein- leads to edema and bloating

Answer 5

Kwashiorkor

Question 6

disease with energy deficiency- generally acute, wasting

Answer 6

Marasmus

Question 7

Has the largest effect on aspects of innate immunity than any other nutrient

Reduces epithelial and physiological barrier functions as well as the function of macrophages and neutrophils and NK

Answer 7

Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM)

Question 8

What are the impacts of iron deficiency?

Answer 8

1. Neutrophil/Macrophage function
2. Decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha/IL-6)
3. inhibits proliferation of T cells (B cells to a lesser extent)
4. Thymic function diminished

Question 9

What is the danger with too much iron?

Answer 9

Can help pathogens grow

Question 10

This deficiency skews the immune system towards a Th1 response and reduces Th2-driven antibody responses to vaccines (supplementation reverses these responses)

Answer 10

Vitamin A

Question 11

Supplementation of this vitamin reduces mortality from measles and diarrhea

Answer 11

Vitamin A

Question 12

Assoc. with low grade chronic inflammation, assoc. with alterations in T cell subsets (linked to increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines), enhances thymic aging and reduces T-cell diversity

Answer 12

Obesity

Question 13

What is an immunologic risk to pre-term babies?

Answer 13

Has little IgG from mother

Question 14

What is the benefit to breastfeeding?

How does it negatively impact immunity?

Answer 14

Uptake of maternal antibodies
- facilitates opsonization

Lot of maternal antibody can decrease B cell stimulation

Question 15

Why can’t young infants get vaccines?

Answer 15

Young infants have defects in immune system and can’t stimulate adaptive immunity well

Cell-mediated immunity is impaired and can’t stimulate T cell/B cell well

Question 16

What is unique about innate immune response in neonates?

Answer 16

Not normal because not making IL-12

Question 17

What are some problems with infant immunity?

Answer 17

1. Delicate physical barriers (skin)
2. Bad stomach acidity/flora unestablished
3. No IgA (some with breastfeeding)
4. Immature innate immunity

Question 18

Are elderly individual immunodeficient?

Answer 18

No- but don’t respond effectively to novel or previously encountered antigens

Question 19

What is the primary cause of T cell dysfunction in the elderly?

Answer 19

Thymic involution

Question 20

______ in elderly are less functional in response to antigen than those in young individuals

Answer 20

Naive T cells

Question 21

Why is there reduced immune response to vaccines in elderly?

Answer 21

Antibody responses are impaired with aging

Question 22

How does innate immunity change in the elderly?

Answer 22

1. Change in differentiation/phenotype of dendritic cells
2. Macrophages have reduced expression of MHC class II
3. Impaired neutrophil/NK function
4. TLR pathway altered