title: Single nutrient deficiency and cell-mediated immune responses. I. Zinc.
abstract: The thymus of rats provided zinc-deficient diet weighed less than the thymus of animals fed zinc-containing control diet. The antibody-forming cell response in the spleen was reduced. Cytotoxic response of spleen cells of zinc-deficient mice immunized in vivo was decreased whereas after sensitization in vitro the response was comparable to that seen in zinc-replete animals. Natural killer cell activity and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity were increased, particularly the former. These observations suggest that dietary zinc intake is an important factor modulating cell-mediated immune responses.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc