Abstract
The classic historical association between famine and pestilence<sup>1</sup>and the depression of serum γ-globulin levels in severe malnutrition noted by Cannon (1942)<sup>2</sup>gave rise to a general concept that malnutrition depresses both host resistance and immune responses. In two classic reviews of the interaction between nutrition and infection<sup>3,4</sup>malnutrition of any severity was noted to act synergistically with infection by most classes of bacteria, particularly the pyogenic pathogens, but occasional antagonistic effects occurred with<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pasteurella pestis</i>, and some salmonellae. The antagonistic effects of malnutrition were also noted with several viruses and protozoal infections. Striking decreases in the incidence of spontaneous tumors and marked slowing in local and metastatic spread of established malignant neoplasms in chronically malnourished animals was first reported by Moreschi (1909)<sup>5</sup>and Rous (1914).<sup>6</sup>These findings have been confirmed for many tumor types in rodents and cattle and accompany reduction of
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