Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders-Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - Immune, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders) - Volume 14, Issue 4, 2014

In order to gain better insight into meaningful effects of nutrition on immune function, there is a need for guidance on the assessment and interpretation of immune markers. However, there is no consensus as to which markers best represent the various aspects of immunity, including acute, chronic or low-grade inflammation. International Life Sciences Institute European Branch has commissioned several expert group Read More

Dietary patterns high in refined starches, sugar, and saturated and trans-fatty acids, poor in natural antioxidants and fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and poor in omega-3 fatty acids may cause an activation of the innate immune system, most likely by excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines associated with a reduced production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is a Read More

The recent discovery that vitamin D regulates expression of the cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide gene has generated renewed interest in using vitamin D to fight infectious diseases. This review describes the historical use of vitamin D or its sources to treat infections, the mechanism of action through which vitamin D mediates its “antibiotic” effects, findings from epidemiological studies associating vitamin D deficiency w Read More

In the early 1920s the antirachitic effect of food irradiated with ultraviolet light and cod liver oil has been recognized. The antirachitic substance was identified and called “vitamin D”. Since then the key role of vitamin D in calcium and bone homeostasis has been investigated. Moreover, it has been recognized that vitamin D is able to modulate a variety of processes and regulatory systems such as host defense, inflammation, i Read More

Immune decline with ageing accounts for the increased risk of infections, inflammatory chronic disease, autoimmunity and cancer in humans. Both innate and adaptive immune functions are compromised in aged people and, therefore, attempts to correct these dysfunctions represent a major goal of modern medicine. In this review, special emphasis will be placed on the aged innate immunity with special reference to polymor Read More

Numerous studies have provided evidence suggesting that aging is associated with significant adverse changes in the immune system, a phenomenon often called immunosenescence, which may be responsible for an observed increase in morbidity and mortality from infectious disease and cancer in the elderly. While a variety of immune cells are known to be affected by aging, declined T cell function is the most Read More

Over the last decade our understanding of human gut microbiology underwent a tremendous transformation. The limitations of culture-based methods have given way to Next Generation Sequencing techniques, allowing us to understand the microbial gut community in greater depth. The human GI-tract harbours one of the most complex and abundant ecosystems colonized by more than 100 trillion microorganisms, amon Read More

The beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet (MD) had been first observed about 50 years ago. Consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals, red wine, nuts, legumes, etc. has been regarded as the primary factor for protection from many human pathologies by the Mediterranean diet. Subsequently, this was attributed to the presence of polyphenols and their derivatives that, by exerting an anti-inflammatory and a Read More

Malnutrition is a complex syndrome caused by an inadequate intake of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins which affects the immune system. Nutritional imbalances, present in children with energy-protein malnutrition and infections, make defining the specific effects of each of them on the thymus difficult. For this reason, it is necessary to design an experimental model in animals that could define a single variable. As th Read More

Objectives: Obesity is a worldwide problem, leading to cardiomyopathy. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been reported to play significant roles in developing obesity cardiomyopathy. N-acetylcysteine is a glutathione prodrug that preserves liver against steatosis via constraining the production of reactive oxygen species. Etodolac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which has been demonstrated to protect liver Read More