Table 2 Zinc supplementation studies in elderly.
| Subjects | Number | Intervention1 | Effect | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| institutionalized > 70 years |
15 (C) 15 (Z) |
100 mg zinc as sulfate one month | increased T cell numbers, DTH, and response to tetanus vaccine compared to control group | [130] |
| anergic to DTH, 64–76 years | 5 (Z) |
55 mg zinc as sulfate four weeks | improved DTH | [132] |
| free-living, 60–89 years |
36 (P) 36 (Z,15) 31(Z,100) |
15 or 100 mg Zn as acetate 3 months | no effect on DTH or in vitro lymphocyte proliferation | [137] |
| zinc-deficient males, 65–78 years | 8 (Z) |
60 mg zinc as acetate 4.5 months | increase in DTH after supplementation | [131] |
| free-living, 60–89 years |
24 (P) 20 (Z,15) 19(Z,100) |
15 or 100 mg Zn as acetate 12 months | negative effect on DTH, NK cell activation only after 3 months | [138] |
| institutionalized, 73–106 years | 44 (P)/(Z) crossover |
20 mg zinc as gluconate 8 weeks | increased thymulin activity | [136] |
| zinc deficient, 50–80 years | 13 (Z) |
30 mg zinc as gluconate 6 months | increase in plasma thymulin activity, IL-1, and DTH after supplementation | [115] |
| institutionalized, 64–100 years |
190 (C) 160 (Z) |
90 mg zinc as sulfate 60 days | no effect of zinc on response to influenza vaccination | [149] |
| institutionalized, ≥ 65 years |
30 (P) 28 (Z) |
25 mg zinc as sulfate 3 months | increase in CD4+DR+ T cells and cytotoxic T cells compared to placebo | [133] |
| free-living, 65–82 years | 19 (Z) |
10 mg zinc as aspartate 7 weeks | reduced levels of activated T helper cells and basal IL-6 release from PBMC, improved T cell response | [140, 141] |
| institutionalized |
25(P) 24(Z) 6(P) 6(Z) |
45 mg as gluconate 12 months 45 mg as gluconate 6 months |
reduced incidence of infections increased IL-2 mRNA in response to ex vivo stimulation with PHA | [33, 128] |
| healthy, 55–70 y. |
31 (P) 28/34 (Z) |
15/30 mg zinc as gluconate 6 months | no effect on markers of inflammation or immunity | [134] |