The role of zinc in the pathogenesis and treatment of COVID-19: A review

Destructive outcomes of coronavirus pandemic call for medical research which can report all of the influential agents not only for the treatment of the disease but also preventing its severe impacts on the societal health in the most efficient manner. Zinc plays an integral role in the function of cellular enzymes and transcription factors. Owing to its anti-inflammatory and cellular immunity regulation activity, zinc is regarded to be effective on strengthening the immune system. Its crucial antiviral effects have long been established as well. Studies suggest that low serum zinc level predisposes the patient to severe COVID-19 infection, which makes patient’s zinc profile a potential determinant of prognosis and severity of this disease. Furthermore, zinc supplementation has indicated promising outcomes of coronavirus infection management. Zinc modulates cell-mediated immunity and participates in the killing of microorganisms in cytotoxic immune cells. Zn2 + has anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting IL-6 production. Although there is still not enough evidence, it seems that zinc could be a promising supplementary treatment for COVID-19 especially in zinc-deficient patients. The aim of this review is to clarify the role of zinc in pathogenesis and therapy of COVID-19 in detail.

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Zinc deficiency may play a crucial role in dialysis-associated bacterial infections

Journal of Renal Injury Prevention ◽

10.34172/jrip.2022.09 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. e9-e9

Author(s):

Zahra Lotfi ◽

Abbas Ali Zeraati ◽

Elaheh Dashti ◽

Tina Zeraati ◽

Maryam Arghiany ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Zinc Deficiency ◽

Bacterial Infections ◽

Critical Role ◽

Serum Zinc ◽

Zinc Level ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Mean

Introduction: Systemic bacterial infections are a common cause of mortality and morbidity in hemodialysis patients. Zinc has a critical role in several immune system functions. Patients who have enough amounts of zinc are able to better face infections caused by various pathogens in comparison to those with zinc insufficiency Objective We sought to assess the role of zinc deficiency in dialysis-associated bacterial infections. Patients and Methods: Eighty-Three adult patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on hemodialysis including 43 patients with bacterial infectious complications and 40 non-infected patients as well as 41 healthy individuals were enrolled. Clinical data, laboratory values including serum zinc level and imaging findings were collected. SPSS was utilized to analyze the data with a significance cutoff set at P < 0.05. Results: Out of 124 participants, 80 (64.51%) were males and 44 (35.49%) were females. The mean age of infected hemodialysis group, non-infected hemodialysis group, and healthy controls were 50.8 ± 16.25, 49.1 ± 18.1, and 56.3 ± 18.2 years, respectively. Catheter site infection (37.3%) and urinary tract infection (30.2%) were the most common infections. The mean serum zinc concentration was significantly lower in the infected patients, compared to non-infected patients and healthy individuals (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The ESRD patients on hemodialysis have lower serum zinc levels which are associated with increased risk of bacterial infection. The role of screening for zinc deficiency and use of supplemental zinc in these patients need to be studied.

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Regulatory Role of Zinc in Allergic Rhinitis through the IL-33/ST2 Pathway

Journal of Healthcare Engineering ◽

10.1155/2022/3718317 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 2022 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Wulin Wen ◽

Fengxia Yang ◽

Xueliang Shen ◽

Ningyu Feng ◽

Huiyu Ha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Allergic Rhinitis ◽

Mast Cells ◽

Serum Zinc ◽

Zinc Level ◽

Cell Counting ◽

Regulatory Role ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Serum Zinc Level ◽

Cell Supernatant

Objective. We aimed to investigate the expression of serum zinc and cytokines interleukin- (IL-) 13 and IL-33 in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and observe the effects of zinc on cytokines and pathway proteins in P815 mast cells stimulated by Artemisia annua allergen (Art.) in the IL-33/suppression of the tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) pathway. We also aimed to explore the possible regulatory role of zinc in AR and provide new ideas to determine the etiology and treatment of AR. Methods. AR patients treated from March to September in 2018 were selected as the research participants, and 50 healthy people in the same period were selected as the control group. Serum samples of all patients were collected, and those of AR patients were tested for the presence of allergens. The expression of IL-13 and IL-33 was detected by performing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while the serum zinc level was detected by conducting an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The cell counting kit (CCK-8) was used to detect the proliferation of P815 mast cells, and western blot was used to detect the expression of ST2, p38, and p65 proteins. Results. A total of 92 AR patients were included in the study; of them, 52 had mild AR, while 40 had moderate AR. The primary allergen found in AR patients was Artemisia, and the positivity rate was 53.26%. The serum zinc ion level of AR patients decreased, and the expression of IL-13 and IL-33 increased. After Art. was used to treat P815 mast cells, the expression of IL-33 in the cell supernatant increased in a concentration-dependent manner, the expression of receptor ST2 increased, and the expression of downstream p38 and p65 proteins increased. However, after treatment with ZnSO4, the expression of IL-33 in the cell supernatant decreased, and the expression of ST2, p38, and p65 protein decreased. Conclusion. The serum zinc level of AR patients decreased. In the IL-33/ST2 pathway, ZnSO4 can reduce the hypersensitivity of mast cells induced by Art.

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The Role of Serum Zinc Level in Febrile Convulsion Etiology

Çocuk Enfeksiyon Dergisi/Journal of Pediatric Infection ◽

10.5152/ced.2012.27 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 90-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

İhsan Kafadar ◽

Ayşe Burcu Akıncı ◽

Fügen Pekün ◽

Erdal Adal

Keyword(s):

Serum Zinc ◽

Febrile Convulsion ◽

Zinc Level ◽

Serum Zinc Level

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Evaluation of Serum Zinc Level Under Malignant Condition and Its Possible Implication on Improving Cell-Mediated Immunity During Cancer Progression

World Journal of Oncology ◽

10.4021/wjon256e ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Chakravarty

Keyword(s):

Cancer Progression ◽

Serum Zinc ◽

Zinc Level ◽

Cell Mediated Immunity ◽

Serum Zinc Level ◽

Malignant Condition

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TO STUDY SERUM ZINC LEVEL IN CHILDREN WITH FEBRILE SEIZURE.

International Journal of Medical and Biomedical Studies ◽

10.32553/ijmbs.v5i1.1688 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Deepak Choudhary ◽

Sandeep Kulhari

Keyword(s):

Case Control Study ◽

Serum Zinc ◽

Febrile Convulsion ◽

Febrile Seizures ◽

Zinc Level ◽

Control Groups ◽

Predisposing Factor ◽

And Control ◽

Control Study

Background: Febrile seizures are the most common cause of convulsions in children. However, the exact underlying etiology and the pathophysiological mechanisms are yet to be established. Various theories have been put forward regarding the role of trace elements as predisposing factors in causing the convulsions. Among them, Zinc is the most interesting trace element whose role in diarrhea and pneumonia is well proven. Methods: Hospital based Prospective, Analytical, Case – Control study conducted on 100 patients were enrolled in the study out of which 50 were cases which were febrile convulsion patients and 50 were control who were age and weight matched children. Results: Mean zinc level was 69.80±13.13mcg/dl and 80.76±10.24 mcg/dl in study and control groups respectively and this difference was found statistically highly significant (p<0.001). Conclusion- This study establishes a definite relationship between zinc deficiency and febrile seizures thereby substantiating zinc as an important predisposing factor in febrile seizures. Keywords: Zinc, Epilepsy, Deficiency

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