title: The influence of inflammation on plasma zinc concentration in apparently healthy, HIV+ Kenyan adults and zinc responses after a multi-micronutrient supplement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Plasma zinc is an important biomarker of zinc status, but the concentration is depressed by inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Apparently healthy adults, who tested positive twice for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but who had not reached stage IV or clinical AIDS, were randomly allocated to receive a food supplement (n=17 and 21) or the food plus a micronutrient capsule (MN; n=10 men and n=33 women) containing 15 mg zinc/day. We used the inflammation biomarkers, C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), to identify subjects with and without inflammation and determine the effect of inflammation on the response of plasma zinc concentrations to the MN and food supplements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences between men and women either in plasma zinc or in the responses to the supplements and their data were combined. Plasma zinc was lower in those with inflammation than without. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that inflammation blocked increases in plasma zinc, and there was an approximate 10% increase in plasma zinc concentration in response to the MN supplement (P=0.023) in those without inflammation. Subgroup analysis showed mean changes in plasma zinc of 0.95 and -0.83 micromol/l (P=0.031) in response to the MN and food treatments, respectively, in those without inflammation at both time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inflammation seems to block any increase in plasma zinc after MN supplement and it is important to identify those without inflammation to determine the effectiveness of a zinc supplementation program.
authors.affiliation: Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Public Health Research, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: A S W
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mburu
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Thurnham
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Mwaniki
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Muniu
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Alumasa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency / Q000494:pharmacology; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000378:metabolism; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012016:Reference Values; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018977:Micronutrients; D009961:Orosomucoid; D028321:Plant Preparations; D014815:Vitamins; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015032:Zinc