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Zinc deficiency and immune function.

C L Keen¹, M E Gershwin

¹Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis 95616.

Annual Review of Nutrition

|January 1, 1990

Summary

Zinc deficiency significantly impairs immune system function, increasing susceptibility to infections. Further research is needed to understand the biochemical mechanisms behind zinc

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Area of Science:

Immunology
Nutritional Biochemistry

Background:

Zinc is essential for immune system development and function.
Zinc deficiency is linked to increased susceptibility to infections in animals and immune dysfunction in humans.
The precise biochemical mechanisms of zinc's impact on immunity are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the biochemical basis of how zinc deficiency affects immune responsiveness.
To identify key areas for future research into zinc's role in immunity.

Main Methods:

Review of existing epidemiological and experimental data on zinc deficiency and immune function.
Identification of potential molecular and cellular pathways affected by zinc deficiency.

Main Results:

Zinc deficiency impacts multiple components of the immune system.
Increased susceptibility to bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections is observed in zinc-deficient states.
Epidemiological data strongly suggest zinc deficiency as a cause of immune dysfunction in human populations.

Conclusions:

Understanding zinc's role in cytokine production, release, and action is crucial.
Investigating zinc's impact on protein kinase C activity and lymphocyte membrane function is a promising research direction.
Further research into zinc's role in regulating immunoregulatory genes is warranted.

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