Zinc and immunocompetence in protein-energy malnutrition
Lancet
; 1(8076): 1226-8, 10 June 1978.
Article
en En
| MedCarib
| ID: med-12434
Biblioteca responsable:
JM3.1
Ubicación: JM3.1; R31.L3
ABSTRACT
Malnourished children have thymic atrophy which is reversed by zinc supplementation. To see if their defect in cell-mediated immunity was also associated with zinc deficiency ten children were skin-tested with Candida antigen on both arms. One test site was covered with local zinc sulphate and the other with placebo ointment. There was a highly significant increase in the typical delayed-hypersensitivity reaction at the site covered with zinc. The magnitude of the difference between the supplemented and unsupplemented arms correlated negatively with the plasma-zinc concentration. These data show that zinc deficiency is a cause of the immunoincompetence seen in malnutrition. The normal reactions of the zinc-supplemented side indicate that, of the many nutritional deficits of malnourished children, zinc deficiency specifically impairs the cell-mediated immune system. Local skin-testing with and without zinc may provide a measure of zinc status. Local application of zinc may enhanc the reliability of tests to diagnose diseases such as tuberculosis in malnourished patients.(AU)
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MedCarib
Asunto principal:
Zinc
/
Desnutrición Proteico-Calórica
/
Síndromes de Inmunodeficiencia
/
Formación de Anticuerpos
Tipo de estudio:
Clinical_trials
/
Diagnostic_studies
Límite:
Humans
/
Infant
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Lancet
Año:
1978
Tipo del documento:
Article