ReviewZinc homeostasis and immunosenescence
Section snippets
Zinc status and immune function
In 1934 the essentiality of zinc for animals has been recognized [1], but it was not until the early 1960s that zinc was known as an essential trace element for human beings [2]. Zinc is highly important for all proliferating cells in the human body, especially for the whole immune system. Zinc is considered to be relatively non-toxic to humans and the human body contains a total amount of 2–4 g zinc [3]. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) in the United States for zinc is 11 mg/day for men and
Altered immune function during aging
Aging is associated with changes in the immune response (see Fig. 1). This is also due to declined serum or plasma zinc levels. Aging is related to a decreased capacity to mount an adequate response referred to as immunosenescence, resulting in increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer [13]. These changes mainly affect the adaptive immunity especially the T cell-mediated cellular immune response [14]. It has been demonstrated that even with healthy aging
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