       Document 0855
 DOCN  M9650855
 TI    Benefit of oral zinc supplementation as an adjunct to zidovudine (AZT)
       therapy against opportunistic infections in AIDS.
 DT    9605
 AU    Mocchegiani E; Veccia S; Ancarani F; Scalise G; Fabris N; Gerontology
       Research Department, Italian National Research; Centres on Ageing
       (INRCA), Ancona, Italy.
 SO    Int J Immunopharmacol. 1995 Sep;17(9):719-27. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/96153666
 AB    Zinc is perhaps the most important trace element for immune function.
       Congenital or acquired zinc deficiencies are associated with immune
       abnormalities and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases. AIDS
       subjects suffer from reduced zinc bioavailability, more severe in stage
       IV than in stage III. Such zinc deficiency causes, among other effects,
       a profound reduction in the biological activity of one of the thymic
       hormones, thymulin (zinc-facteur-timique-serique, ZnFTS). With these
       premises, zinc sulphate was administered orally at a daily dose of 200
       mg for 30 days to AZT-treated stage III subjects with generalized
       lymphadenopathy (17 subjects) and stage IV subgroup C1 (12 subjects)
       AIDS patients. 18 stage III subjects with generalized lymphoadenopathy
       and 10 stage IV subgroup C1 subjects treated only with AZT served as
       controls. Zinc sulphate supplementation of stage III and in stage IV C1
       patients was followed by an increase or a stabilization in the body
       weight and an increase of the number of CD4+ cells and the plasma level
       of active zinc-bound thymulin. The frequency of opportunistic infectious
       episodes in the 24 months following entry into the study was reduced
       after zinc supplementation in stage IV C1 subjects (11 infections vs 25
       in controls) and delayed in stage III zinc-treated subjects (1
       infection/24 months vs 13 infections/24 months in controls). The effect
       of zinc on opportunistic infections is restricted to infections due to
       Pneumocystis carinii and Candida, whereas no variations have been
       observed in the frequencies of cytomegalovirus and toxoplasma
       infections. These data may support the benefit of zinc as an adjunct to
       AZT therapy in AIDS pathology.
 DE    Administration, Oral  Adult  Analysis of Variance  Antiviral
       Agents/*THERAPEUTIC USE  AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*DRUG
       THERAPY/IMMUNOLOGY/  MICROBIOLOGY  CD4 Lymphocyte Count  Drug Therapy,
       Combination  Female  Human  Male  Severity of Illness Index  Thymic
       Factor, Circulating/METABOLISM  Time Factors  Treatment Outcome
       Zidovudine/*THERAPEUTIC USE  Zinc/ADMINISTRATION &
       DOSAGE/BLOOD/*THERAPEUTIC USE  CLINICAL TRIAL  JOURNAL ARTICLE
       RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

