title: The effect of zinc sulfate on immunologic response to recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in elderly: Zinc sulfate and immunologic response to recombinant hepatitis B vaccine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B is the major cause of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in Iran. Sanitation and immunization is one of the most effective measures for prevention of the disease which is now widely used in developing countries. However, the immune response to the vaccine varies by age.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of zinc sulfate on immune response to hepatitis-B vaccine in elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a clinical trial on 140 subjects aged ?40 years with a body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m2, and without any co-morbid disease were recruited. Those who had negative hepatitis B core antibody (102 persons) were randomly allocated to two groups. The trial group received hepatitis B vaccine plus 200 mg zinc sulfate daily for 30 days and the control group received vaccine plus placebo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  52 of 102 people were female (51%). The two studied groups were comparable in terms of age, gender, and smoking habits. The mean antibody production in the intervention and control groups was 116.93 and 157.37 mIU/mL, respectively (p=0.22). No statistical differences were observed between the two groups in terms of proportion of people who were protected after vaccination (26.0% and 36.5% in people with and without zinc, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that zinc sulfate has no effect in level of immunity among elderly.
authors.affiliation: Kermanshah Liver Disease and Hepatitis Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mandana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Afsharian
authors.forename: Siavash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vaziri
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Janbakhsh
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sayad
authors.forename: Feizollah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mansouri
authors.forename: Javad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nourbakhsh
authors.forename: Keyghobad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Qadiri
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shirvanii
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