QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Percival, S. S. Articles by Milner, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Percival, S. S. Articles by Milner, J.

---

Recent Advances in Nutritional Sciences

Bioactive Food Components that Enhance T Cell Function May Play a Role in Cancer Prevention¹

² Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611; ³ Divison of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115; ⁴ Nutritional Science Research Institute, Boston, MA 02115; and ⁵ Nutritional Science Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Rockville, MD 20892

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: percival{at}ufl.edu.

T cells are found largely within the epithelium and recognize antigens differently than their β T cell counterparts. TCR ^–/– knock out mice exhibit a rapid tumor onset, along with increased tumor incidence. Although limited, research demonstrates that nutrients and bioactive food components can influence T cell cytotoxicity, cytokine secretion, and proliferative capacity, and the results are nonetheless intriguing. Among other functions, T cells play a role in immunosurveillance against malignant cells, as shown by the T cell receptor (TCR)^–/– knock out mice that exhibit a rapid tumor onset and increased tumor incidence. Some common dietary modifiers of T cell numbers or activity are apple condensed tannins, dietary nucleotides, fatty acids, and dietary alkylamines. A recent clinical study demonstrated that ingesting a fruit and vegetable juice concentrate increased the number of circulating T cells. Clinical studies also document that the oral consumption of a tea component, L-theanine, enhances T cell proliferation and interferon- secretion. The significance of these studies awaits additional examination of the influence of exposures and duration on these and other food components. Adoptive transfer and TCR^–/– knock out mice models should be used more extensively to determine the physiological impact of the number and activity of these cells as a function of dietary component exposures. While clarifying the diet and T interrelationship may not be simple, the societal implications are enormous.