ArticleImmunity & ageing : I & A2009
The immune system and the impact of zinc during aging.
Article in Immunity & ageing : I & A, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 136 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
136 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 325 citations in OpenAlex.
- Zinc-Induced Hematologic Toxicities: A Systematic Review of Descriptive Studies.Biological trace element research · 2026Pooled it
- Time-dependent efficacy of zinc supplements in preventing oral mucositis after chemoradiotherapy: a meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Maternal Serum Zinc Level and Pre-eclampsia Risk in African Women: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Biological trace element research · 2021Pooled it
- Relation of Serum Copper Status to Survival in COVID-19.Nutrients · 2021Trial
- Effects of zinc-fortified drinking skim milk (as functional food) on cytokine release and thymic hormone activity in very old persons: a pilot study.Age (Dordrecht, Netherlands) · 2014Trial
- Effects of zinc supplementation on plasma copper/zinc ratios, oxidative stress, and immunological status in hemodialysis patients.International journal of medical sciences · 2013Trial
- Effects of Organic Zinc Supplementation on Gut Microbiota and Health-Related Biomarkers in Healthy Adult Dogs.Biological trace element research · 2026Article
- Ward-Level Variation and Clinical Correlates of Low Serum Zinc Among Long-Term Care Facility Residents: A Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2026Article
- Associations of Serum Zinc and Iron with Systemic Inflammatory Indices in Pediatric Obesity: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Impact of Zinc on T Cell Motility and the Immunological Synapse.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Metal ions in aging and ocular diseases: biology, pathophysiology, and therapeutic strategies.npj aging · 2026Review
- Zinc ions attenuates iridovirus infection through regulation of ferroptosis pathways.Cell death discovery · 2026Article
- Nicotinamide riboside treatment enhances stress sensitivity and modulates hematological dynamics in aged mice.GeroScience · 2026Article
- Persistent Zinc Deficiency Among Residents of a Long-Term Care Facility: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study.Cureus · 2026Article
- Trace Elements and Viral Infectious Diseases: Dual Roles in Pathogenesis and Immunity.Infectious disease reports · 2026Review
- Zinc: a metallic shield against cardiac inflammation.Metallomics : integrated biometal science · 2026Review
- Impact of zinc deficiency on the recurrence in aphthous stomatitis: A prospective case-control study.Bioinformation · 2026Article
- Low zinc status and long-term risk of incident sepsis in patients with type 2 diabetes: a multicenter cohort study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Adjunctive zinc supplementation with methotrexate improves therapeutic outcomes in an animal model of arthritis.Inflammopharmacology · 2025Article
- Food allergies in older people: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nutrition and health · 2025Article
76 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The trace element zinc is essential for the immune system, and zinc deficiency affects multiple aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. There are remarkable parallels in the immunological changes during aging and zinc deficiency, including a reduction in the activity of the thymus and thymic hormones, a shift of the T helper cell balance toward T helper type 2 cells, decreased response to vaccination, and impaired functions of innate immune cells. Many studies confirm a decline of zinc levels with age. Most of these studies do not classify the majority of elderly as zinc deficient, but even marginal zinc deprivation can affect immune function. Consequently, oral zinc supplementation demonstrates the potential to improve immunity and efficiently downregulates chronic inflammatory responses in the elderly. These data indicate that a wide prevalence of marginal zinc deficiency in elderly people may contribute to immunosenescence.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.