Zinc

Genetic determinants of zinc homeostasis and its role in cardiometabolic diseases.

Sadler MC, Ghobril JP, Borisov O, Perrais M, Schiano G, Petrovic D · PLoS genetics · 2025

Zinc is essential for many physiological processes and its deficiency is highly prevalent worldwide. Its complex homeostasis involves membrane transporters from the SLC39/ZIP and SLC30/ZnT protein families. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of urinary zinc levels in three European-ancestry cohorts (N = 10,113), followed by in silico and in vivo studies to elucidate their underlying public health and physiological relevance. We identified eleven genome-wide significant signals with six mapping to SLC39/ZIP and SLC30/ZnT gene regions. The lead signal (rs3008217C>G, p = 2.42E-110) in the SLC30A2 gene region which explained 6.1% of urinary zinc variation strongly colocalized with its expression in kidney tubules. Low phenotypic and genetic correlations between plasma and urinary zinc levels indicated distinct genetic regulation. High urinary zinc correlated with an unfavorable cardiometabolic profile, and Mendelian randomizatio

Zinc status in cystic fibrosis patients; a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Malekahmadi M, Soltani S, Pahlavani N, Sharifi Zahabi E, Kazemizadeh H, Hadavi S · Heliyon · 2024 · n=383

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease causes concentration of secretions and this affects the lungs and digestive system. These patients are exposed to zinc (zn) deficiency. In this review, we decided to investigate the status of zn in CF patients compared to control group. Also, the clinical trials that have so far performed zinc supplementation in these patients are examined. ISI Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline, and Cochrane database were searched, up to December 2023, for studies that reported the association between zn levels of CF patients compared to a healthy control group. A random-effect model was used to compute the pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Subgroup analysis was done for region, sample and method of measurement, zinc supplementation and age. Overall, meta-analysis of 9 studies (n = 383 participants) revealed that the zn levels were significantly lower in children and adolesce

Non-pharmacological interventions in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Turk MA, Liu Y, Pope JE · Autoimmunity reviews · 2023

To investigate the role of non-pharmaceutical therapies on disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis through systematic review and meta-analysis. A review of Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was performed from inception until March 26, 2019. Only randomized controlled trials which assessed oral, non-pharmacological interventions (e.g. diets, vitamins, oils, herbal remedies, fatty acids, supplements, etc.) in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis, that presented clinically-relevant outcomes (defined as pain, fatigue, disability, joint counts, and/or disease indices) were included in our meta-analysis. Data were analyzed as mean differences between active and placebo and forest plots were performed. Heterogeneity was evaluated using I-squared statistics while funnel plots and Cochrane's risk of bias assessment evaluated bias. 8170 articles were identified in the search and 51 were RCTs were included. The mean difference in DAS28 was significantly improved in e

Role of Antioxidants in Melasma: A Systematic Review.

Sarkar R, Sahu A · Indian journal of dermatology · 2025

Melasma is a common skin disorder characterized by facial hyperpigmentation, often aggravated by sun exposure. Antioxidants are being studied as a treatment option for their potential to reduce oxidative stress and improve skin pigmentation. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed for articles published over the past decade, up to January 31, 2024, on the use of antioxidants in melasma treatment. The systematic review, conducted by two independent investigators, included 30 studies on antioxidants in melasma, covering vitamin C, cysteamine, silymarin, PLE, tomato extract/lycopene, zinc sulfate, melatonin, and other antioxidants. Findings indicated that combining vitamin C with physical therapies, such as peels and lasers, yielded better results. Cysteamine, a naturally occurring aminothiol, showed efficacy comparable to hydroquinone with fewer side effects. Silymarin was effective in reducing melasma severity with minimal adverse effects. PLE showed mixed results but

Correlation between serum zinc and testosterone: A systematic review.

Te L, Liu J, Ma J, Wang S · Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 2023

Zinc is a vital trace element for normal function of the living system. In male, zinc is involved in various biological processes, an important function of which is as a balancer of hormones such as testosterone. For this purpose, studies related to the influence of zinc on serum testosterone were selected and summarized, including the effect of dietary zinc deficiency and zinc supplementation on testosterone concentrations. After preliminary searching of papers on databases, 38 papers including 8 clinical and 30 animal studies were included in this review. We concluded that zinc deficiency reduces testosterone levels and zinc supplementation improves testosterone levels. Furthermore, the effect degree of zinc on serum testosterone may vary depending on basal zinc and testosterone levels, zinc dosage form, elementary zinc dose, and duration. In conclusion, serum zinc was positively correlated with total testosterone, and moderate supplementation plays an important role in improving and

The Role of Zinc in Selected Female Reproductive System Disorders.

Nasiadek M, Stragierowicz J, Klimczak M, Kilanowicz A · Nutrients · 2020

Zinc is an essential microelement that plays many important functions in the body. It is crucial for the regulation of cell growth, hormone release, immunological response and reproduction. This review focuses on its importance in the reproductive system of women of reproductive and postmenopausal ages, not including its well described role in pregnancy. Only recently, attention has been drawn to the potential role of zinc in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), dysmenorrhea, or endometriosis. This review is mainly based on 36 randomized, controlled studies on reproductive, pre- and post-menopausal populations of women and on research trying to explain the potential impact of zinc and its supplementation in the etiology of selected female reproductive system disorders. In women with PCOS, zinc supplementation has a positive effect on many parameters, especially those related to insulin resistance and lipid balance. In primary dysmenorrhea, zinc supplementation before and during each menst

ACG Clinical Guideline: Malnutrition and Nutritional Recommendations in Liver Disease.

Singal AK, Wong RJ, Dasarathy S, Abdelmalek MF, Neuschwander-Tetri BA, Limketkai BN · The American journal of gastroenterology · 2025

Malnutrition, defined as deficiency, excess, or imbalance of nutrients, is a common complication in patients with liver disease, especially those with cirrhosis. Malnutrition may present as an isolated micronutrient deficiency, such as zinc deficiency, and it commonly presents as frailty and/or sarcopenia in patients with advanced liver disease. Patients with cirrhosis and/or alcohol-associated hepatitis should be assessed for malnutrition because it adversely affects patient outcomes including mortality, as well as waitlist and posttransplant outcomes among liver transplant candidates. The prevalence of malnutrition varies based on the method of assessment and disease severity, being higher in those with advanced liver disease. Among stable outpatients with cirrhosis, counseling should be done to eat small frequent meals, a night-time snack between 7 PM and 10 PM, and 2 or more cups of coffee daily. In selected patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, vitamin E

Diagnostic procedure on suspicion of zinc deficiency. Society for Minerals and Trace Elements.

Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 1997

Zinc Supplementation, Inflammation, and Gut Integrity Markers in HIV Infection: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Baissary J, Koberssy Z, Wu Q, Sattar A, Atieh O, Daher J · Nutrients · 2025 · n=95

Background: Low levels of zinc are prevalent in patients living with HIV and are associated with higher morbidity. Zinc has major immunomodulatory effects. This study aimed to assess the effect of zinc supplementation on inflammatory and gut integrity markers and on zinc levels among HIV patients with zinc deficiency. Methods: This was a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial assessing the efficacy and safety of zinc supplementation on inflammation and gut markers in people with HIV (PWH) ≥ 18 years old, on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) with undetectable HIV-1 viral load, and with zinc levels of ≤0.75 mg/L. Participants were randomized 2:1 to zinc gluconate tablets at a dose of 90 mg of elemental zinc or a matching placebo daily for 24 weeks. At baseline and at week 24, we measured plasma levels of zinc and markers of inflammation and gut barrier integrity. Results: Among the 95 participants enrolled in this study, 74% were male, and 65% were non-white, wi

Randomized Study of the Effects of Zinc, Vitamin A, and Magnesium Co-supplementation on Thyroid Function, Oxidative Stress, and hs-CRP in Patients with Hypothyroidism.

Rabbani E, Golgiri F, Janani L, Moradi N, Fallah S, Abiri B · Biological trace element research · 2021

Hypothyroidism can occur due to deficiencies in micronutrients such as zinc, magnesium, and vitamin A. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of supplementation with these micronutrients on thyroid function, oxidative stress, and hs-CRP levels in patients with hypothyroidism. In a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with two parallel groups, 86 hypothyroid patients aged 20-65 were allocated to receive daily supplementation with either: (intervention group, n = 43) one 30 mg zinc gluconate capsule per day, one 250 mg magnesium oxide tablet per day, and one 25,000 IU vitamin A capsule twice/week for 10 weeks or (placebo group, n = 43) placebo capsules and tablets as above for 10 weeks. Neither of the groups changed their diet or physical activity. Thyroid hormones (free and total thyroxine (FT4 and TT4), free tri-iodothyronine (FT3), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)), oxidative markers (malondialdehyde (M

Dietary intake and micronutrient deficiency in children with cancer.

Morrell MBG, Baker R, Johnson A, Santizo R, Liu D, Moody K · Pediatric blood & cancer · 2019 · n=23

Data regarding micronutrient deficiencies in children with cancer are lacking. We measured micronutrients in a subset of children with cancer (n = 23) participating in a randomized trial of the neutropenic diet. Ninety-six percent of children had ≥1 micronutrient deficiency and 39% had ≥3 micronutrient deficiencies. Eighty-six percent of children had vitamin C deficiency, 87% had 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency, 50% had zinc deficiency, and 13% had vitamin A deficiency. Dietary intake did not correlate with micronutrient deficiency status. More data are needed regarding the prevalence and etiology of micronutrient deficiencies in children with cancer to further understand their implications and treatment.

Targeting transglutaminase 2: pathways to celiac disease therapies.

Endrizzi A, Grunst P, Rudloff S, De Laffolie J, Zimmer KP, Stricker S · Gastroenterology report · 2025

Transglutaminase 2 (TG2)-mediated enzymatic modification of gliadin peptides plays a major role in the pathogenesis of celiac disease (CD). Different inhibitory mechanisms have been reported to reduce TG2 activity but comparative data on the cellular level are lacking. Furthermore, recent evidence suggested that endogenous redox proteins such as endoplasmic reticulum resident protein 57 (ERp57, inhibits TG2) and thioredoxin-1 (TRX, activates TG2) may regulate TG2 activity. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects and applicability of different inhibitors on the activity of recombinant and cellular TG2. Furthermore, we investigated the role of ERp57 and TRX in the context of CD by using siRNA-mediated knockdown in Caco-2 cells. The effect of TG2 inhibitors on recombinant and extracellular TG2 activity was investigated by using photometric and fluorometric quantitation of the cross-linking of biotinylated gliadin peptide P56-88 or 5-(biotinamido)-pentylamine. After siRNA knockdown

Zinc Deficiency in Chronic Kidney Disease and Hemodialysis: Insights from Basic Research to Clinical Implications.

Nakatani S, Morioka T, Morioka F, Mori K, Emoto M · Nutrients · 2025

Zinc is an essential trace element involved in diverse physiological processes in humans. Zinc deficiency is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those undergoing hemodialysis. This narrative review synthesizes both experimental and clinical findings on zinc status in CKD patients. Literature was primarily retrieved from PubMed using the keywords "zinc" AND ("CKD" OR "hemodialysis") AND at least one of the following: "cardiovascular disease (CVD)", "vascular calcification", "anemia", "blood pressure", OR "infection". In vitro, studies have shown that zinc suppressed phosphate-induced vascular calcification while zinc deficiency directly promoted calcification. Clinically, serum zinc levels were positively correlated with calcification propensity in patients with CKD. In vivo zinc deficiency has been implicated in elevated blood pressure, Moreover, zinc supplementation enhanced erythropoiesis and improved responsiveness to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in

Zinc Deficiency and Zinc Supplementation in Allergic Diseases.

Maywald M, Rink L · Biomolecules · 2024

In recent decades, it has become clear that allergic diseases are on the rise in both Western and developing countries. The exact reason for the increase in prevalence has not been conclusively clarified yet. Multidimensional approaches are suspected in which diet and nutrition seem to play a particularly important role. Allergic diseases are characterized by a hyper-reactive immune system to usually harmless allergens, leading to chronic inflammatory diseases comprising respiratory diseases like asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic skin diseases like atopic dermatitis (AD), and food allergies. There is evidence that diet can have a positive or negative influence on both the development and severity of allergic diseases. In particular, the intake of the essential trace element zinc plays a very important role in modulating the immune response, which was first demonstrated around 60 years ago. The most prevalent type I allergies are mainly based on altered immunoglobulin (Ig)E an

The Effect of Daily Zinc Supplementation on Prevention of Diarrhea and Acute Respiratory Infections Among Children Less Than Five Years: A Randomized Controlled Trial

n=140 · NCT05002101 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED

Zinc deficiency in children is a major problem which leads to compromised immunity and accordingly repeated infections. This study aims to investigate the effect of supplementing zinc to decrease the incidence of diarrhea and respiratory illness in children between 6 months and 5 years in Paediatric Outpatient Clinic in Ain Shams University Hospital.

Zinc for HIV Disease Among Alcohol Users - an RCT in the Russia ARCH Cohort

n=254 · NCT01934803 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED

This study is a double-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the efficacy of zinc supplementation vs. placebo among 250 HIV-infected Russians from the Russia ARCH Cohort, who are ART-naive at enrollment and have a recent history of heavy drinking.

Zinc Supplementation In Very Low Birth Weight Infants-A Randomised Controlled Trial

n=195 · NCT05311540 · COMPLETED · COMPLETED

* Zinc (Zn) is a structural component of human body and is a crucial element for a wide variety of cascades that take place in almost all organ systems. * Due to many reasons, preterm infants are generally believed to be naturally in a negative Zn balance during the early periods of life. * Regulation of intestinal Zn absorption of preterms is unrelated to infant's Zn status. * There still is a lack of knowledge in the possible relation of Zn deficiency and development of NEC and/or feeding intolerance in preterm infants. * Even if Zn is studied as an adjunct treatment for neonates and young infants with sepsis and found to reduce treatment failure in these high risk population, data in preventing infectious diseases in preterm infants is still lacking.

Zinc deficiency

TRIP Database

TRIP Database is a clinical search engine that allows users to find high-quality research evidence, guidelines, and other resources related to 'Zinc deficiency'. It aggregates evidence from various sources to support clinical decision-making.