Zinc Supplementation Helps Increase Immune Response in Infectious Gastroenteritis

Category: Gastrointestinal (GI) Health

Zinc has been established as a necessary nutrient for the cells that line the intestines. During conditions that present with moderate to severe diarrhea, such as shigellosis, zinc can be depleted. Zinc deficiencies cause measurable changes to the morphology of cells, resulting in an increased inflammatory response.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition this year looked at supplementing zinc in children with shigellosis, a form of gastroenteritis caused by the organism Shigella flexneri. Shigella causes gastroenteritis, which often results in moderate to severe diarrhea and causes malnutrition.

In the study children aged 12-59 months were randomized to receive a multivitamin and calcium plus 20mg of elemental zinc for 14 days, or a multivitamin and calcium alone. The study measured levels of zinc in the blood, time to resolution of the diarrhea, and the levels of circulating antibodies to the Shigella organism in the blood. It also looked at the intestinal morphology and inflammation in the rectum.

The study found no difference in time to resolution between the two groups. Children in the treatment group had an increase in serum zinc concentrations over the placebo group. The most prominent effect was an overall increase in circulating white blood cells in the treatment group. Those children receiving zinc supplementation had a significant increase in antibodies directed against Shigella compared to placebo. They also had overall an increase in the types of white blood cells in the blood that can be used to treat infection. There was no change in cellular morphology between the two groups.

The authors concluded that supplementation with zinc in infections gastroenteritis caused by Shigella results in an increased immune response. Supplementation with zinc in other causes of gastroenteritis may be helpful for boosting the immune response as well; further studies are needed to document this effect.

Posted by Kristopher Foster on December 4, 2008 10:00 AM