Effect of fasting on certain immune factors

Twenty Blood samples were collected from healthy people of both sexes before and after 20 days of fastingRamadan.<br /> The phagocytic activity was determined using Candida spores, itsrate was (11 ± 1.9%) before fasting which was increased to (23 ± 3.2%) during fasting this increase showed a highly significant difference at less than 0.05 .<br /> The level of IgGwasdetermined for 14 subject, and IgM for 20 subject, and itappears that they were (838.4 ± 393.1 mg / 100 ml) and (53.4 ± 0.91 mg / 100 ml) for IgG and IgM respectively before fasting, while they were (1363.4 ± 609.4 mg / 100 ml) and (54.4 ± 2.06 mg / 100 ml) for IgG and IgM respectively after fasting.<br /> The increase in IgGlevel was significant for IgG while it was not forIgM.<br /> The level of C4 was (24.4 ± 13.1 mg / 100 ml) and (29.3 ± 8.7 mg / 100 ml) before and after fasting respectively with no significant differences between them. The level of IgG was higher in female (1393.1 mg / 100 ml) the male which was (1168.6 mg/100ml)with no difference in other immunological factors between the sexes during fasting, and the study confirmed the effect of fasting in increasing the immune activities as it appears clearly with increasing age.<br /> <strong>Key word: Phagocytosis, Fasting and immunity, IgG, IgM, C4</strong>