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

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e9-e9
Author(s):  
Zahra Lotfi ◽  
Abbas Ali Zeraati ◽  
Elaheh Dashti ◽  
Tina Zeraati ◽  
Maryam Arghiany ◽  
...  

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.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-246
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ghafoorimehr ◽  
Mastaneh Moghtaderi ◽  
Behnaz Bazargani ◽  
Dariush Fahimi ◽  
Arash Abbasi

Introduction: Relapses in children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) are common and sometimes triggered by various infections. Low zinc levels have been described in children with nephrotic states. It is supposed to that zinc deficiency might lead to dysregulation of immune system and an increased risk of infection. Objectives: This study sought to examine whether the plasma level of zinc in nephrotic patients is related to the number of relapses in these patients. Patients and Methods: Forty-three children aged 1-10 years were entered in this study. Baseline data including age, serum zinc level, number of relapses during one year was recorded. The t test and chi-square tests were used to compare the mean values and proportions respectively with significant P value (P < 0.05). Results: Forty-three children with storied sensitive nephrotic syndrome enrolled in this study. Twenty-three (53.5%) of them were male and 20 (46.5%) were female. Around 74.4 % of patients experienced relapses of nephrotic syndrome in one-year period. There was a significant relation between zinc deficiency and recurrence rate. Conclusion: Zinc deficiency is common in children suffering from nephrotic syndrome and is related to recurrence of relapses in these patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1083-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kei Yoshida ◽  
Tatsuhiko Urakami ◽  
Remi Kuwabara ◽  
Ichiro Morioka

Abstract Background and methods We investigated the frequency of zinc deficiency in Japanese children with idiopathic short stature, and evaluated whether serum zinc levels correlated with background factors, including age and standard deviation scores (SDSs) for height and serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 levels. The study subjects consisted of 89 Japanese children. Results The mean serum zinc level was 79 ± 12 (49–108) μg/dL. Of all the children, 48.3% had a low zinc level, in the 60–80 μg/dL range, and 6.7% had zinc deficiency with a zinc level below 60 μg/dL. The majority with a low zinc level and zinc deficiency were asymptomatic other than for short stature. We found no significant correlations of serum zinc with age, or the SDSs for height and serum IGF-1 levels, in either the entire subject population or those with a zinc level below 80 μg/dL. Conclusions We found a low zinc level to be common in Japanese children with idiopathic short stature, whereas actual zinc deficiency was rare. However, other as yet unknown mechanisms not associated with the growth hormone (GH)-IGF-1 axis could be involved in growth retardation in idiopathic short stature.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Rostami Mogaddam ◽  
Nastaran safavi Ardabili ◽  
Nasrollah Maleki

Abstract Introduction: Some studies have reported an association between serum zinc levels and psoriasis. This study aimed to assess the serum zinc level and thyroid dysfunction between psoriasis patients and healthy controls. Also, we evaluated the effect of oral zinc therapy in psoriasis patients with serum zinc deficiency. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 psoriasis patients and 100 healthy age- and sex-matched volunteers were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. Finally, 52 psoriasis patients with serum zinc deficiency were randomly divided into two groups: one in which clobetasol cream alone was treated (group A), and one in which clobetasol cream plus oral zinc sulfate was treated (group B). The treatment response was assessed with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score. Results: The mean serum zinc level in psoriasis patients and controls was 62.3 ± 14.3 μg/dL and 87.7 ± 35.2 μg/dL, respectively (P-value= .001). Serum zinc deficiency was found in 52% and 26% of psoriasis patients and control subjects, respectively. Thyroid dysfunction was found in 8% of patients with psoriasis compared with 7% in control subjects (P-value=.361). At the end of the 12th week of treatment, the mean value of % reduction from baseline values of PASI Score in group A was 23.8 ± 18.2%, whereas this was 21.31 ± 17.8% in group B (P-value=.486). Conclusion: Although the prevalence of serum zinc deficiency is higher in psoriasis patients compared with healthy subjects, oral zinc supplementation does not appear to have therapeutic benefits in these patients. Also, we could not find any relationship between thyroid dysfunction and psoriasis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 1431-1435

Background: Zinc deficiency is associated with alteration in gastrointestinal tract structure, function, and impaired immune function. Aim: To analyze the effects of zinc deficiency on the occurrence of acute diarrhea in exclusively breast-fed infants. Methods: In a case-control study, including a total of 72 exclusively breast-fed infants aged ≤ 6 months, 34 of them with acute diarrhea were in the study group and 38 infants as the healthy control group. Demographic characteristics of all infants and their parents were studied. Serum Zinc level was measured for all participants. Results: Zinc level had significant (p-value =0.000) differences between infants with acute diarrhea and the healthy control group. The mean serum zinc value ± SEM in children with acute diarrhea was 63.11 ± 1.7 which was significantly (p = 0.000) different from the mean serum zinc value ± SEM (78.6 ± 1.6) in healthy infants. A cut-off value 60.6μg/dl of total serum zinc level was significantly (p = 0.000) associated with a sensitivity of 100 % with the occurrence of acute diarrhea among exclusively breast-fed infants. Conclusions: Low serum zinc level is associated with the occurrence of acute diarrhea in exclusively breast-fed infants. A cutoff serum zinc value of 60.6 μg/dl has 100% sensitivity with the occurrence of acute diarrhea among breast-fed infants. Keywords: Zinc deficiency, diarrhea, infants, breastfeeding.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-256

Cirrhosis of liver is one of the common medical problem in daily clinical practice and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Zinc is an essential trace elements for human and plays in many biological roles in the body. Among them, zinc deficiency is thought to be involved in metabolism of ammonia and causes hyperammonia that worsen hepatic encephalopathy. This study aimed to find out the severity of cirrhosis of liver was by Child Turcotte Pugh score and to investigate the associations between serum zinc level and severity of cirrhosis. A hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 78 patients with different underlying causes of cirrhosis of liver at the Medical Units of Yangon General Hospital and Yangon Specialty Hospital. Among the study population, Child grade A was found to be 28.21%, Child grade B was 30.77% and Child grade C was 41.03%. Regarding result of serum zinc level, 62.8% were low level, 28.2% were within normal level and 8.9% were high level. Mean value of serum zinc level in grade A was 0.68 mg/l, grade B was 0.54 mg/l and grade C was 0.48 mg/l (p=0.00). It was found out that there was a high prevalence of zinc deficiency in severe cirrhotic patients. The zinc level was significantly lowest among patients with Child-Pugh C as compare to those with Child-Pugh B and C. Severity of zinc deficiency should be requested for supplementation therapy in cirrhotic patients as to prevent complications such as hepatic encephalopathy, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. Screening for zinc deficiency may need in these patients with more advanced cirrhosis because it seems to be a marker of advanced liver disease and it can be deducted that awareness of serum zinc level among cirrhotic patients is very important in clinical practice.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Hale ◽  
Maren Weischer ◽  
Jong Y. Park

Although the causes of prostate cancer are largely unknown, previous studies support the role of genetic factors in the development of prostate cancer.CHEK2plays a critical role in DNA replication by responding to double-stranded breaks. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of the role of a genetic variant, 1100delC, ofCHEK2on prostate cancer risk and discuss the implication for potential translation of this knowledge into clinical practice. Currently, twelve articles that discussedCHEK2∗1100delC and its association with prostate cancer were identified. Of the twelve prostate cancer studies, five studies had independent data to draw conclusive evidence from. The pooled results of OR and 95% CI were 1.98 (1.23–3.18) for unselected cases and 3.39 (1.78–6.47) for familial cases, indicating thatCHEK2∗1100delC mutation is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. Screening for CHEK2∗1100delC should be considered in men with a familial history of prostate cancer.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Ryul Lee

Zinc is recognized as an essential trace metal required for human health; its deficiency is strongly associated with neuronal and immune system defects. Although zinc is a redox-inert metal, it functions as an antioxidant through the catalytic action of copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase, stabilization of membrane structure, protection of the protein sulfhydryl groups, and upregulation of the expression of metallothionein, which possesses a metal-binding capacity and also exhibits antioxidant functions. In addition, zinc suppresses anti-inflammatory responses that would otherwise augment oxidative stress. The actions of zinc are not straightforward owing to its numerous roles in biological systems. It has been shown that zinc deficiency and zinc excess cause cellular oxidative stress. To gain insights into the dual action of zinc, as either an antioxidant or a prooxidant, and the conditions under which each role is performed, the oxidative stresses that occur in zinc deficiency and zinc overload in conjunction with the intracellular regulation of free zinc are summarized. Additionally, the regulatory role of zinc in mitochondrial homeostasis and its impact on oxidative stress are briefly addressed.


2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Folake O. Samuel ◽  
Abdulkadir A. Egal ◽  
Wilna H. Oldewage-Theron ◽  
Carin E. Napier ◽  
Christine S. Venter

This cross-sectional study assessed the risk of zinc deficiency in randomly selected children, aged between 7 and 11 years, living in a poor, peri-urban informal settlement in South Africa. Dietary intake of 149 respondents was evaluated by 24-hour recall and quantitative food frequency questionnaires. Anthropometric and biochemical indices of a subset of 113 were determined. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and Pearson correlations were computed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 14.0. Anthropometric data were analysed using the World Health Organization Anthro plus version 1.0.2 statistical software. Dietary data were analysed with FoodFinder® version 3. The mean age of the children was 9.0±1.1 years. Few zinc-rich sources appeared in the diet that was predominantly plant-based. Mean dietary zinc intake was 4.6±2.2 mg/day. The mean value of serum zinc was 66.4±21.5 µg/dL, with 46% of the children having values less than the 70 µg/dL cut-off. The findings indicate a high risk of zinc deficiency and suboptimal zinc status for the majority of this study population of children, possibly as a result of low consumption of food sources with high bioavailability of zinc, which invariably is a direct consequence of poverty and food insecurity.OpsommingDie doel van hierdie dwarsdeursnitstudie was die bepaling van die risiko van ’n sinktekort in ’n ewekansige steekproef van 7 tot 11 jaar-oue kinders, woonagtig in ’n arm, voorstedelike informele woonbuurt in Suid Afrika. Dieetinnames van 149 respondente is geëvalueer deur 24-uur herroep en kwantitatiewe voedselfrekwensie vraelyste. Antropometriese en biochemiese indikatore van ’n kleiner steekproef van 113 is ook bepaal. Beskrywende statistiek, analise van variansie en Pearsonkorrelasies is bepaal deur die Statistical Package for Social Sciences, uitgawe 14.0. Antropometriese data is geanaliseer deur die statistiese program, Anthro plus, uitgawe 1.0.2, van die Wêreld Gesondheid Organisasie. Dieetdata is met behulp van FoodFinder® uitgawe 3 geanaliseer. Die gemiddelde ouderdom van die kinders was 9.0±1.1 jaar. Min sinkryke voedselbronne is in die hoofsaaklik plantryke dieet waargeneem. Die gemiddelde sinkinname was 4.6±2.2 mg/dag en die gemiddelde serumsinkwaarde was 66.4±21.5 µg/dL, met 46% van die kinders se waardes onder die 70 µg/dL afsnypunt. Die bevindings dui op ’n hoë risiko vir sinktekort en suboptimale sinkstatus vir die meerderheid van hierdie kinders, moontlik as gevolg van die swak inname van voedselbronne met hoë biobeskikbare sink, wat gewoonlik ’n direkte gevolg van armoede en huishoudelike voedsel insekuriteit is.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Ranjbar ◽  
Maryam Zahed ◽  
Mohammad Ali Ranjbar ◽  
Zahra Shirmardan

Abstract Background: Recurrent herpes labialis (RHL) is one of the most common recurrent infective vesiculoulcerative lesions. Topical and systemic administration of Zinc compounds has been found to have preventive and therapeutic effects. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the serum level of zinc in patients with RHL and healthy individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 43 patients with the history of recurrent herpers labialis and 42 healthy subjects with no history of the lesion. Blood samples were taken and serum zinc level was measured. Chi-Square test was used to compare the qualitative relationships and to compare the quantitative relationships independent T-test was used. To observe the relationship of quantitative factors including serum zinc level, the number of relapses and recovery rates correlation test was taken. Results: The results show that serum zinc level has no significant difference in healthy subjects and patients (p> 0.05). Also, zinc level was not related to age and sex factors and frequency of relapse (P> 0.05). But surprisingly in the patients group, there was a significant relationship between zinc level and recovery period. As the serum zinc level was lower, the duration of recovery was significantly higher (p =0.009). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that zinc deficiency is a risk factor for increasing the duration of herpes labialis lesions. Therefore, the evaluation of serum zinc level in subjects with recurrent herpes labialis and subsequent administration of zinc is recommended in such patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Rebecchi ◽  
N Salmeri ◽  
C Patruno ◽  
R Villanacci ◽  
P Rover Querini ◽  
...  

Abstract Study question To investigate differences in In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) outcomes between endometriosis women who do or don’t have a concomitant autoimmune disease. Summary answer Despite a higher oocyte yield, a trend for reduction in clinical pregnancy rates was observed in the autoimmunity group compared to women without concomitant autoimmunity. What is known already Endometriosis is an inflammatory chronic gynaecological disorder with a known detrimental impact on fertility. Endometriosis pathogenesis is still unclear. It has been postulated a role of both innate and adaptive immune system. The coexistence of endometriosis and autoimmunity is a well-documented occurrence Some recent findings have revealed an increased risk to have concomitant autoimmune disease in women with endometriosis, but no study has so far investigated whether this association could affect IVF/ICSI outcomes. Indeed, autoimmune phenomena, including proinflammatory cytokines and auto-antibody production, may result in diminished quality of oocytes/embryos with lower pregnancy rates among these patients. Study design, size, duration This was a retrospective observational study carried out at the Fertility Unit of IRCSS San Raffaele Hospital (Milan). We reviewed medical patients’ notes of women with a confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis who referred to our Fertility Unit from October 2018 to January 2021. Participants/materials, setting, methods Out of 1441 patients undergoing IVF/ICSI, 98 women had surgical/histopathological diagnosis of endometriosis. 25 of them had a clinical and/or serological diagnosis of autoimmunity. Autoimmunity was assessed by clinical data (blood tests for auto-antibodies or rheumatological records) obtained from the electronic patient files stored in the database of our Fertility Centre. Clinical pregnancy was defined as the presence of at least one intrauterine gestational sac with a viable embryo at week 6 after transfer. Main results and the role of chance 25/98 (25.5%) endometriosis women with a concomitant autoimmune disease (cases) were compared with 73/98 (74.5%) endometriosis patients without autoimmunity (controls). The mean age was 37.36±3.63 and 36.93±3.79 (p=.623) in cases and controls respectively. The mean number of oocytes retrieved was higher in cases (5.78±4.07) than in controls (3.82±2.69;p=.041); similarly, cases showed an higher number of embryos (2.13±1.93 vs. 1.19±1.37;p=.041) and blastocysts (1.89±2.02 vs. 0.85±1.61;p=.041) obtained. A total of 47 fresh embryo transfer (ET) were performed. Considering all the endometriosis patients, the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) per cycle was 34.0% (16/47); when stratifying for the presence of autoimmunity the CPR was 23.1% (3/13) in cases, and 38.2% (13/34) in controls (p=.494). Limitations, reasons for caution This is a retrospective study based on data extraction from electronic records of our Fertility Centre. The sample size is limited and some information about past medical history could be missed. Results should be interpreted with caution until validated by future research providing more standardized data collection. Wider implications of the findings: Despite significantly higher numbers of oocytes retrieved and embryos/blastocysts formed, the presence of concomitant autoimmune disease in patients with endometriosis may impair pregnancy rates. Whether this finding is confirmed and whether it could be due to a defect in embryo/blastocysts quality or in endometrial receptivity deserves further studies. Trial registration number Not applicable


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