With ageing, a chronic oxidative process, the immune response is impaired. This immunosenescence, in which an alteration of the redox state of the immune cells appears (with an increase in oxidant levels and a decrease in antioxidant defences), is involved with the rate of ageing( Reference De la Fuente and Miquel 1 ). Leucocyte functions are good health markers and longevity predictors( Reference De la Fuente and Miquel 1 ) and nutrition has been proposed as one strategy of life style, which help to maintain an excellent immune function with aging( Reference De la Fuente, Cruces, Hernandez and Ortega 2 ). The aim of this work was to study the effects of daily oral administration of the antioxidant vitamin C (500 mg), or both vitamin C (500 mg) and vitamin E (200 mg) on several blood neutrophil functions (adherence, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and superoxide anion levels) and lymphocyte functions (adherence, chemotaxis, proliferation, interleukin-2 secretion and natural killer activity) in healthy elderly men and women. These parameters were analysed before supplementation, after 3 months of supplementation, and 6 months after the end of supplementation (post-supplementation). In addition, adult subjects were used as the control age group. The results showed that vitamin C improved these immune parameters in elderly subjects, bringing their values close to those of adults. These effects were maintained after 6 months without supplementation in several functions. Similar effects were found in elderly supplemented with both vitamin C and E. Thus, a short period of vitamin C or vitamin C and E administration, at the doses used, improving the immune functions, could contribute to increase healthy longevity in elderly individuals.
This work was supported by MICINN (BFU2011–30336), UCM (910379ENEROINN) grants, RETICEF (RD06/0013/0003) from ISCIII.