Malnutrition and immunocompetence in older and younger outpatients
Linn, B.S.; Jensen, J.
Southern Medical Journal 77(9): 1098-1102
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0038-4348 PMID: 6435259 Document Number: 240394
To determine the relation between malnutrition and immune status in older and younger outpatients, 179 outpatient men were assessed according to 9 markers of malnutrition and assigned to a well nourished or a malnourished group. Immune status was measured by mixed lymphocyte culture, lymphocyte response to 3 mitogens, neutrophil chemotaxis and immunoglobulin values. Each group was further divided into those 65 years and older (28%) and those younger than 65 years (72%). Malnutrition was present in 29% of the younger group and 38% of the older. Malnourished patients had less lymphocyte response to allogeneic cells and to phytohaemagglutinin, but more response to pokeweed and higher IgA values. In the younger group chemotaxis results showed that malnourished persons had higher responses than well nourished; the trend was opposite in the older group. More differences in immune status were found between malnourished and well nourished than between old and young, but more unfavourable responses were found in the older malnourished than in any other group. The study suggests that malnutrition is common among outpatients and that depressed immune responses associated with malnutrition can result in disease, particularly in the elderly.