The Opposite Associations of Lycopene and Body Fat Mass with Humoral Immunity in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Possible Role in Atherogenesis

This study examined the possible effects of lycopene at physiological dosage and body fat mass onthe humoral immune response in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (t2dm).a total of 35 patients with typ2 diabetes mellitus from both sexes aged 54±9 yrs from the iraniandiabetes society were introduced into a double blind placebo controlled clinical trial conducted for 2months. after a 2-week lycopene free diet washout period, patients were allocated to either lycopenesupplementation group (10mg/d) (n=16) or placebo age- and sex matched group (n=19) for 8 weeks.patients were instructed to keep their diets and physical activities as unchanged as possible.lycopene supplements increased serum lycopene levels (p<0.001). while intake of dietary energyand nutrients did not change in either groups, the ratio of total antioxidant capacity tomalondialdehyde increased significantly in the lycopene group (p=0.007). there was an inversecorrelation between serum levels of lycopene and those of igg (r= -0.338, p=0.008). on the contrary,changes of serum levels of lycopene directly correlated with those of igm (r=0.466, p=0.005).interestingly, changes of the amount of fat mass correlated directly with those of serum igg (r=0.415,p=0.044) but inversely with of serum igm (r= -0.469, p=0.021).while truncal fat might promote adaptive humoral immunity, lycopene probably by inhibitingmda-ldl formation might attenuate t cell dependent adaptive (pro-atherogenic) humoral immuneresponse. these findings may have preventive implications in long term diabetic complications,notably atherogenesis.