title: Iron deficiency and immune responses.
abstract: Iron deficiency is often associated with the impairment of the immune system, particularly the functioning of T-cell lymphocytes. Studies were therefore carried out in mice to investigate the involvement of iron in T-cell functions. Iron deficiency in mice was induced nutritionally by feeding diets differing in iron content for 4 weeks to produce normal, moderately low and severely low haematological indices. The proliferation of lymphocytes stimulated by Con A from these groups of mice was significantly affected by the degree of iron deficiency. Iron depletion also resulted in decreased production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) in the proliferating cells. The implications of these findings in the manifestation of iron deficiency anaemia are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria.
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Latunde-Dada
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D004247:DNA