Trace elements in medicine and biology : therapeutic uses of trace elements

Recovery of normal anthropometric values was observed after one month of rehabilitation in young children suffering from severe protein-energy malnutrition. But one another month was required for immunologic recovery and the children were kept in the rehabilitation ward until nutritional and immunological recovery. To accelerate the immune rehabilitation of the children we investigated the effect of a daily zinc supplementation (2 mg per kg) as an immuno-stimulatory treatment. The percentage of immature lymphocytes and non-invasive ultrasonography of the thymic mass were used to estimate the immune rehabilitation. Because the hospital ethical committee refused a comparative study with placebo, a case-historically matched cohort study of 32 malnourished children was planed. Children of both groups underwent nutritional rehabilitation for two months. In addition, the test group received a daily zinc supplementation. In both groups anthropometric recovery was achieved in one month. Children with daily zinc supplementation showed faster thymic mass recovery than controls and reached immune recovery in one month while an another month was needed for controls. Zinc supplementation did not hasten anthropometrical recovery but significantly reduced the time for immunological recovery. Zinc supplementation acted as an immune-stimulating factor so that immune and anthropometric recoveries coincided. Zinc supplement allowed the discharge of "anthropometrically and immunologically healthy" children after only one month of treatment. Hospitalization time could be shortened and the cost reduced by half. (Résumé d'auteur