title: Zinc and infection: a review.
abstract: Dietary zinc deficiency is widespread in developing countries and is often aggravated by intercurrent acute and chronic infections. Recent studies have demonstrated that zinc supplementation can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality of apparently well-nourished children and shorten the time to recovery from acute infectious diseases. This review summarises current knowledge of the role of zinc in childhood diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections and malaria, and its potential role in diseases associated with impaired cellular immunity, namely tuberculosis, lepromatous leprosy and leishmaniasis, and explores avenues for future research.
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK. lcuevas@liv.ac.uk
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000209:etiology; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000209:etiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000209:etiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000209:etiology; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000506:poisoning
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc