Effects of Serum Selenium Level on Cell-Mediated Immunity and on Antibody Response to Multivalent Influenza Vaccine in Hemodialysis Patients

OBJECTIVE: End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are more prone to serious influenza virus infection than healthy subjects. Selenium (Se) play an important role in cellular and humoral immunity and serum Se levels were lower in hemodialysis patients. Studies have demonstrated that Se deficiency results in less reboust immune responses to vaccination and infections. We aimed to investigate the effect of serum Se levels on immune parameters and antibody response to multivalent influenza vaccine (MIV) in HD patients.

MATERIAL and METHODS: Twenty-six HD patients (Group 1) and 11 healthy subjects (Group 2) were vaccinated with a trivalent inactivated MIV. In both groups, serum Se levels, CD3, CD4, CD4/ CD8 ratio, CD3+HLA-DR+ cell percentages and antibody response to MIV were determined before and 1 month after the vaccination.

RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between Group 1 and Group 2 in terms of baseline serum Se levels, CD8, CD4/CD8 ratio, and CD3+HLA-DR cell percentages. One month after the vaccination, no significant changes were observed in any of the parameters except antibody titers with to baseline levels.

CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe any difference in terms of Se levels and the immune parameters mentioned above before and 1 month after MIV vaccination in HD patients. Further studies investigating the link between Se status and clinical outcomes are needed in dialysis patients.