Elsevier

Nutrition Research

Volume 16, Issue 3, March 1996, Pages 369-379
Nutrition Research

Human study
Effect of zinc supplementation on nutritional immune deficiency

https://doi.org/10.1016/0271-5317(96)00018-8Get rights and content

Abstract

In previous studies, during rehabilitation of young children suffering from severe protein-energy malnutrition, we observed, on admission, an increased percentage of immature lymphocytes, and, in situ with non-invasive ultrasonography, a thymic mass involution. Normal anthropometric values were recovered after one month of rehabilitation whereas two months were required for immunologic recovery. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a daily zinc supplementation (2 mg per kg) as an immuno-stimulatory treatment to accelerate the immune rehabilitation of these children. A case-historically matched cohort study of 32 malnourished children was planed because the hospital ethical committee refused a comparative study using placebo. Children of both groups underwent nutritional rehabilitation for two months but the test group received a daily zinc supplementation from admission on. Social and psychological aspects were also taken into account. Both groups reached anthropometric recovery in one month. Children with daily zinc supplementation showed faster thymic mass recovery than the control and reached immune recovery in one month while an another month was needed for control children. Zinc supplementation hastened immune recovery that coincided with nutritional recovery and the duration of hospitalization was shortened.

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