Tr. Kramer et al., LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSIVENESS OF CHILDREN SUPPLEMENTED WITH VITAMIN-A ANDZINC, The American journal of clinical nutrition, 58(4), 1993, pp. 566-570
We sought to determine the effect of supplementation with zinc, vitami
n A, or a combination of the two on proliferation of T lymphocytes to
concanavalin A (ConA), tetanus toxoid (TT), or tuberculin (PPD) of chi
ldren living in a region endemic for suboptimal vitamin A and zinc int
ake. The children (n = 140, aged 6-13 v) were randomly assigned and su
pplemented with either zinc (25 mg/d), vitamin A (1500 mg RE/d), zinc
+ vitamin A, or placebo for 6 mo. After a baseline blood collection, s
ubjects were boosted with diptheria-tetanus antigen. Proliferative res
ponsiveness of T lymphocytes to ConA and TT in each treatment group (n
= 35) was not different at baseline or postsupplementation. Children
supplemented with zinc + vitamin A tended to show higher proliferative
responsiveness of T lymphocytes to PPD than did those treated with pl
acebo (P = 0.08). This tendency was observed in females but not in mal
es. Increased zinc and vitamin A intake could result in health benefit
s for children living in regions endemic for suboptimal micronutrient
nutriture.