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    J Nutr. 2008 Nov;138(11):2276-83.

    Men with low vitamin A stores respond adequately to primary yellow fever and secondary tetanus toxoid vaccination.

    Ahmad SM, Haskell MJ, Raqib R, Stephensen CB.

    Program in International and Community Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California Davis, CA 95616, USA.

    Current recommendations for vitamin A intake and liver stores (0.07 micromol/g) are based on maintaining normal vision. Higher levels may be required for maintaining normal immune function. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between total body vitamin A stores in adult men and measures of adaptive immune function. We conducted an 8-wk residential study among 36 healthy Bangladeshi men with low vitamin A stores. Subjects received a standard diet and were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive vitamin A (240 mg) or placebo during wk 2 and 3. Subjects received Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) and tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccines during wk 5. Vitamin A stores were estimated by isotopic dilution during wk 8. Vaccine-specific lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine production, and serum antibody responses were evaluated before and after vaccination. Vitamin A supplementation increased YFV- and TT-specific lymphocyte proliferation and YFV-specific interleukin (IL)-5, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production but inhibited development of a TT-specific IL-10 response. Both groups developed protective antibody responses to both vaccines. Some responses correlated positively with vitamin A stores. These findings indicate that the currently recommended vitamin A intake is sufficient to sustain a protective response to YFV and TT vaccination. However, YFV-specific lymphocyte proliferation, some cytokine responses, and neutralizing antibody were positively associated with liver vitamin A stores > 0.084 micromol/g. Such increases may enhance vaccine protection but raise the question of whether immune-mediated chronic diseases may by exacerbated by high-level dietary vitamin A.

    PMID: 18936231 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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    Patient drug information

    • Yellow Fever Vaccine (YF-VAX®)

      Yellow fever is a serious disease caused by the yellow fever virus. It is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito andcannot be spread directly from person to person. It is found in certain parts of Africa and Sou...