ArticleBMC infectious diseases2004
Zinc/copper imbalance reflects immune dysfunction in human leishmaniasis: an ex vivo and in vitro study.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 69 citations in OpenAlex.
- Serum Levels of Vitamins and Trace Elements in Patients with Visceral Leishmaniasis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Biological trace element research · 2024Pooled it
- Serum Zinc Level and Efficacy of Zinc Therapy in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Biological trace element research · 2024Pooled it
- Leishmaniasis and Trace Element Alterations: a Systematic Review.Biological trace element research · 2021Pooled it
- Nutritional supplements for patients being treated for active visceral leishmaniasis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Cutaneous and Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis: Perspectives on Immunity, Virulence, and Treatment.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- The Interaction of Zinc as an Essential Trace Element withAdvanced biomedical research · 2024Review
- Zinc and Manganese Imbalances in BALB/c Mice Experimentally Infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.Acta parasitologica · 2023Article
- The Possible Role of Selected Vitamins and Minerals in the Therapeutic Outcomes of Leishmaniasis.Biological trace element research · 2023Review
- Serum copper-to-zinc ratio and risk of incident pneumonia in caucasian men: a prospective cohort study.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2022Article
- Trace element zinc and skin disorders.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Review
- Inflammatory-Metal Profile as a Hallmark for COVID-19 Severity During Pregnancy.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2022Article
- Nutritional status and vitamin A and zinc levels in patients with kala-azar in Piauí, Brazil.Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical · 2021Article
- Serum copper-to-zinc-ratio and risk of incident infection in men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.European journal of epidemiology · 2020Article
- Micronutrient levels and their effects on the prognosis of visceral leishmaniasis treatment, a prospective cohort study.BMC infectious diseases · 2020Article
- Article
- Diagnostic and Severity-Tracking Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN · 2018Review
- New insights into leishmaniasis in the immunosuppressed.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2018Review
- Potential role of zinc in the visceromegaly regression and recovery of hematological parameters during treatment of visceral leishmaniasis in children from an endemic area.Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo · 2018Article
- Particle induced X-ray emission study of blood samples of Indian Kala-azar patients.Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology · 2017Article
- Antileishmanial Activity of Disulfiram and Thiuram Disulfide Analogs in an Ex Vivo Model System Is Selectively Enhanced by the Addition of Divalent Metal Ions.Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe process of elimination of intracellular pathogens, such as Leishmania, requires a Th1 type immune response, whereas a dominant Th2 response leads to exacerbated disease. Experimental human zinc deficiency decreases Th1 but not Th2 immune response. We investigated if zinc and copper levels differ in different clinical forms of leishmaniasis, and if these trace metals might be involved in the immune response towards the parasite.
methodsBlood was collected from 31 patients with either localized cutaneous (LCL), mucosal (ML) or visceral (VL) leishmaniasis, as well as from 25 controls from endemic and non-endemic areas. Anti-Leishmania humoral and cellular immune response were evaluated by quantifying specific plasma IgG, lymphoproliferation and cytokine production, respectively. Plasma levels of Cu and Zn were quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
resultsA significant decrease in plasma Zn was observed in all three patient groups (p < 0.01 for LCL and ML, p < 0.001 for VL), as compared to controls, but only VL (7/10) and ML (1/7) patients displayed overt Zn deficiency. Plasma Cu was increased in LCL and VL (p < 0.001) but not in ML, and was strongly correlated to anti-Leishmania IgG (Spearman r = 0.65, p = 0.0028). Cu/Zn ratios were highest in patients with deficient cellular (VL<<LCL<ML) and exacerbated humoral (VL>LCL>ML) immune response. Ex vivo production of parasite-induced IFN-gamma was negatively correlated to plasma Cu levels in LCL (r = -0.57, p = 0.01). In vitro, increased Cu levels inhibited IFN-gamma production.
conclusions1. Zn deficiency in VL and ML indicate possible therapeutic administration of Zn in these severe forms of leishmaniasis. 2. Plasma Cu positively correlates to humoral immune response across patient groups. 3. Environmentally or genetically determined increases in Cu levels might augment susceptibility to infection with intracellular pathogens, by causing a decrease in IFN-gamma production.
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