Zinc is known to play a central role in the immune system, and zinc-deficient persons
experience increased susceptibility to a variety of pathogens. The immunologic mechanisms
whereby zinc modulates increased susceptibility to infection have been studied for several
decades. It is clear that zinc affects multiple aspects of the immune system, from the barrier
of the skin to gene regulation within lymphocytes. Zinc is crucial for normal development and
function of cells mediating nonspecific immunity such as neutrophils and natural killer cells …