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Asthma, allergy and vitamin E: Current and future perspectives.
Joan M Cook-Mills1, Samantha H Averill1, Jacquelyn D Lajiness1
1Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine
|November 17, 2021
Summary
Vitamin E isoforms, alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol, have opposing roles in allergy and asthma. Understanding these differences may lead to new dietary interventions for lung disease.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Environmental Health
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Asthma and allergic diseases arise from complex interactions between genetic predispositions and environmental factors.
- Vitamin E, an environmental factor, influences the development of allergies and immune responses to allergens.
- The diverse effects of Vitamin E are attributed to the distinct functions of its various isoforms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential roles of Vitamin E isoforms, specifically alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol, in allergic inflammation and disease development.
- To explore the potential link between global variations in asthma prevalence and the consumption of these tocopherol isoforms.
- To highlight the importance of measuring tocopherol isoform levels in research and clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- Mechanistic studies were employed to elucidate the functions of alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol in allergic responses.
- Comparative analysis of tocopherol isoform functions in the context of allergic inflammation and asthma.
- Review of epidemiological data potentially linking tocopherol consumption patterns to asthma prevalence.
Main Results:
- Alpha-tocopherol exhibits anti-inflammatory functions, while gamma-tocopherol demonstrates pro-inflammatory functions in the context of allergy and asthma.
- Differential functions of tocopherol isoforms in regulating allergic inflammation and disease progression were identified.
- Differences in national asthma prevalence may correlate with varying dietary intake of alpha- and gamma-tocopherols.
Conclusions:
- Tocopherol isoforms differentially regulate allergic inflammation, offering a basis for therapeutic interventions.
- Targeting tocopherol isoform activity could lead to improved lung function in allergic diseases.
- Early-life dietary interventions focusing on specific tocopherol isoforms may prevent the development of lung diseases like asthma.
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