title: Effects of zinc on cell-mediated immunity in chronic hemodialysis patients.
abstract: Thirteen healthy subjects and 20 hemodialysis patients were studied to observe the delayed hypersensitivity skin tests (DHSTs) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulating lymphocyte blastogenesis. Significant differences were observed between the groups. Controls had a higher proportion of positive skin reaction than hemodialysis patients in relation to Escherichia coli (p<0.01) and tuberculin (PPD) (p<0.05). Regarding lymphocyte blastogenesis stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), cell proliferation was more accentuated in controls than hemodialysis patients (p<0.05). On the other hand, serum zinc was elevated in controls (78 +/- 8 microg/dL) in comparison to hemodialysis patients (71 +/- 33 microg/dL) (p<0.05). Of the 20 hemodialysis patients, 8 patients were maintained on long-term hemodialysis before and after zinc therapy, with the aim of studying DHST and PHA-stimulating lymphocyte blastogenesis. There was a significant improvement of DHST response to E. coli antigen after 100 d of zinc treatment (p<0.01), and with the discontinuation of therapy, the DHST responses decreased back to the initial values (p<0.05). Zinc administration also increased the lymphocyte proliferation induced by PHA from 31386 +/- 3974 to 42480 +/- 5242 cpm (mean +/- SD) (p<0.05). These results indicated that zinc therapy improved in vivo and in vitro DHST and lymphocyte function of hemodialysis patients and that its discontinuation suppressed all of the benefits observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília-DF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ralff C J
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Valéria S F
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: Francisco de Assis R
authors.initials: Fde A
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Draibe
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brandão-Neto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012882:Skin Tests; D014373:Tuberculin / Q000276:immunology; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014373:Tuberculin; D015032:Zinc