The Effects of Total Parenteral Nutrition on Immunodepression Due to Malnutrition

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Abstract
An experimental study was performed in 16 dogs to investigate the effects of sub-acute malnutrition on humoral and cellular immunity and phagocytic functions, and to investigate the ability of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to restore abnormal immunological variables. Deficiencies of Ig[immunoglobulin]G, C3 [the 3rd complement component], primary immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), lymphocyte counts, lymphocyte response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and neutrophil chemotaxis were caused by malnutrition. Nutritional repletion by means of TPN resulted in a return to normal or supranormal serum concentrations of IgG, IgM and C3, and the primary immune response to SRBC was prompter and higher. TPN did not improve lymphocyte response to PHA in these experiments. Subacute malnutrition results in broad based deficiencies of the immunological response of the type that predispose to infection; the proper use of TPN can correct most of these abnormalities.