| Summary: | Vitamins and bioactives, which are constituents of the food chain, modulate T lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation, antibody production, and prevent inflammation and autoimmunity. We investigated the effects of vitamins (vitamin A (VA), D (VD), E (VE)) and bioactives (i.e., resveratrol (Res), epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)) on the adaptive immune response, as well as their synergistic or antagonistic interactions. Freshly isolated T lymphocytes from healthy individuals were activated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies for 4–5 days in the presence of bioactives and were analyzed by cytofluorometry. Interleukins, cytokines, and chemokines were measured by multiple ELISA. Gene expression was measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Res and EGCG increased CD4 surface intensity. EGCG led to an increased proportion of CD8<sup>+</sup> lymphocytes. Anti-CD3/CD28 activation induced exuberant secretion of interleukins and cytokines by T lymphocyte subsets. VD strongly enhanced T<sub>h</sub>2 cytokines (e.g., IL-5, IL-13), whereas Res and EGCG favored secretion of T<sub>h</sub>1 cytokines (e.g., IL-2, INF-γ). Res and VD mutually influenced cytokine production, but VD dominated the cytokine secretion pattern. The substances changed gene expression of interleukins and cytokines in a similar way as they did secretion. Collectively, VD strongly modulated cytokine and interleukin production and favored T<sub>h</sub>2 functions. Resveratrol and EGCG promoted the T<sub>h</sub>1 response. VA and VE had only a marginal effect, but they altered both T<sub>h</sub>1 and T<sub>h</sub>2 response. In vivo, bioactives might therefore interact with vitamins and support the outcome and extent of the adaptive immune response.
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