Severe Zinc Deficiency in Humans: Association with a Reversible T-Lymphocyte Dysfunction

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Abstract
Two patients developed severe Zn deficiency with acrodermatitis during parenteral hyperalimentation. The response of circulating T-lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin was assessed both during the episode of clinical Zn deficiency and after i.v. Zn supplementation as the sole means of nutritional intervention. Maximum T-cell response to phytohemagglutinin, expressed as percent of simultaneous normal control response, was 2.1 and 27.9% in patients 1 and 2, respectively. After 20 days [d] of i.v. Zn supplementation (12 mg/d), repeat studies showed the T-cell response of patient 1 to be 221% of the control, and that of patient 2 to be 139% of control. Patient 1 was anergic during the period of Zn deficiency and normally reactive after Zn supplementation. The findings show the detrimental effect of Zn deficiency on cellular immunity.