dynamic link between the integrity of the immune system and zinc status in sickle cell anemia

ABSTRACT

This study was carried on 30 patients, with sickle cell anemia to evaluate the role of zinc status in relation to cell mediated immunity in terms of T lymphocytes and its subjects, CD4, CD8 and IL-2. Serum zinc level was significantly low in children with sickle cell anemia than in the control group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell [PBMC] zinc level showed significant decrease in the studied cases than the control group. T-lymphocytes showed significant decrease in count of CD4 and CD4/CD8 ratio, but nonsignificant decrease in CD8, low in children with sickle cell anemia compared to control group. IL-2, showed significant decrease in patients with sickle cell anemia when compared with control group. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that zinc deficiency is evident among patients with sickle cell anemia and it has significant impact on the immune system integrity and could greatly alter host defense systems leading to increase in opportunistic infections and mortality rates that observed in these children