LOW DOSAGE ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION CAN INCREASE ZINC LEVEL AND IMMUNITY FUNCTION IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Sheng X-Y, Xue M-B, Shen L-X, Hong Z-Y

Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Second Medical University, China

Objective: Evaluated the effect of zinc supplementation on children’s cell immunity function.

Methods: In a randomized, controlled trial in 143 preschool children (zinc, n=88, control, n=55). The daily dosage of zinc supplementation was 10mg of elemental zinc. In addition, we selected children whose serum zinc concentration lower than normal level in this 143 preschool children (zinc, n=25, control, n=15), and used the cytometry analysis the T lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Supplementation and surveillance were done for 6 months.

Results: After 6 months, the serum zinc concentration of zinc-supplemented children increased from 12.8±1.87mmol/L to 15.4±1.68mmol/L, (P<0.01), and higher than that of the control group, 14.4±1.20mmol/L, (P<0.01). At the same time, zinc-supplemented children’s CD4⁺T lymphocytes increased from 37.3±4.54 to 39.6±3.36，(P<0.01)，and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes from 26.7±5.07 to 28.2±4.66， (P<0.01). In surveillance period, there are no severe infections in zinc-supplemented children.

Conclusion: Low dosage of zinc supplementation not only increase the zinc concentration, but also improve immune status in zinc deficient children, and reduce the occurrence of the infection diseases.

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