title: Trace elements, innate immune response and parasites.
abstract: Micronutrient deficiencies and infectious disease often coexist and show complex interactions leading to mutually reinforced detrimental clinical effects. Such a combination is predominantly observed in underprivileged people of developing countries, particularly in rural regions. Several micronutrients such as trace elements (zinc, iron, selenium) modulate immune function and influence the susceptibility of the host to infection. Nevertheless, the effect of individual micronutrients on components of innate immunity is difficult to design and interpret. Micronutrient deficiency, in general, has a widespread effect on nearly all components of the innate immune response. Chagas' disease is a pertinent model to study interaction of nutrition, immunity and infection, as it implies many components of innate immunity. An important question is whether alterations on micronutrient intake modify the course of infection. Some interactions of trace elements with innate immunity and acute inflammatory response are reviewed in this article with a special focus on selenium deficiency and Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
authors.affiliation: Lab. Biologia Cellular, DUBC, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Andrea Pereira
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: De Souza
authors.forename: Tania Cremonini
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Araujo-Jorge
authors.forename: Solange Lisboa
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: De Castro
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vanderpas
mesh_terms: D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008954:Models, Biological; D009348:Nematoda / Q000276:immunology; D010271:Parasites / Q000276:immunology*; D012643:Selenium / Q000172:deficiency; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000502:physiology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D012643:Selenium; D015032:Zinc