Effect of zinc treatment on cell mediated immunity of chronic renal failure patients.
This study was performed on 13 normal subjects and 34 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Oral elemental zinc at a dose of 60 mg/day for four weeks was administered. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin tests were performed using the multitest method. Monocyte accessory cell function (MAF) was tested by their ability to support T-cell colony growth in semi-solid cultures stimulated by staph-protein A (SpA). After zinc treatment a significant increase of DTH and MAF was found in all patients with advanced CRF in comparison with controls. These results provide evidence that zinc treatment may restore the impaired cellular mediated immunity of uraemia.
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015032:Zinc