The results of more than three decades of work indicate that zinc deficiency rapidly
diminishes antibody-and cell-mediated responses in both humans and animals. The
moderate deficiencies in zinc noted in sickle cell anemia, renal disease, chronic
gastrointestinal disorders and acrodermatitis enteropathica; subjects with human
immunodeficiency virus; children with diarrhea; and elderly persons can greatly alter host
defense systems, leading to increases in opportunistic infections and mortality rates …