ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION STIMULATES TETANUS ANTIBODY-FORMATION AND SOLUBLE INTERLEUKIN-2 RECEPTOR LEVELS IN CHRONIC-HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

Immunodepression in end-stage renal disease has been associated with z inc deficiency. In a controlled study serum zinc levels, serum concent rations of soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), and tetanus IgG an tibody titers were measured in 65 hemodialysis patients before and aft er intravenous zinc supplementation for 2 months. The hemodialysis pat ients had significantly lower predialysis serum zinc concentrations co mpared to healthy controls (63 +/- 1.65 versus 126 +/- 4.6 mug/dl, P < 0.001). Serum zinc concentrations increased to the normal range in th e zinc-treated patients. After zinc substitution tetanus antibody tite rs rose significantly (0.81 +/- 0.12 versus 1.22 +/- 0.12 U/ml, P < 0. 01). Pretreatment sIL-2R levels were elevated in 95% of examined patie nts. A further increase in sIL-2R was observed after zinc supplementat ion (234 +/- 14 versus 285 +/- 21 U/ml, P<0.05). The results suggest t hat zinc induces the activation of T lymphocytes and T-cell dependent B lymphocytes in chronic uremic patients in vivo.