SynthesisBMC infectious diseases2026
Zinc-based therapies for prevention and treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundZinc is essential for epithelial integrity and antifungal immunity and may influence host-pathogen interactions in vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). However, the relationship between zinc status, zinc-based interventions, and VVC pathogenisis remains unclear. We aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of zinc-based interventions for recurrence prevention and to examine their effects on Candida virulence and inflammatory pathways.
methodsWe systematically searched the MEDLINE, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register, and trial registries from inception to September 2025. We included observational, interventional, and experimental studies that evaluated zinc status or zinc-based therapies in VVC. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to estimate the pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) for zinc concentrations with subgroup analyses by sample type and pregnancy status. Risk ratio and risk difference for recurrence outcomes were calculated using Fisher's exact test.
resultsOur search identified 45 records and eleven studies (six observational, two randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and three quasi-experimental) met the inclusion criteria. Six plasma/serum comparisons from observational studies were meta-analyzed. Women with VVC had significantly lower systemic zinc levels than controls (pooled SMD = - 0.72, 95% CI: -1.15 to - 0.28, p = 0.001; I²=73.5%). Pregnancy status was a significant moderator (X
conclusionsZinc deficiency is associated with VVC, with a larger effect in pregnant women likely reflecting altered zinc physiology in pregnancy. Lower zinc levels in VVC may reflect a host nutritional immunity rather than a pre-existing deficiency, and causality cannot be established from the available cross-sectional evidence. Clinical trials remain insufficient to support zinc-based therapies for routine use in VVC.
trial registrationNot applicable. REGISTRATION: The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251152091).
Indexed as
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.