Zinc as an essential element for normal immune reactions and as a therapeutic agent for autoimmune diseases
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66344/jpad.v32i4.1991Abstract
Zinc is an essential element that is involved in more than 300 enzymes metabolism. Also, zinc is engaged in the function of many immunological processes as zinc deficiency leads to a reduction in T-cells, altered T-cell differentiation, and suppression of their functions. zinc deficiency causes impairment of the immune system, increased susceptibility to infections, and an escalation to chronic inflammation if untreated. In addition, there are many studies that had been carried out and showed that zinc is an important therapeutic agent in the treatment of many cuteness and systemic disease either in a form of topical zinc cream or through oral zinc sulfates like in the therapy of alopecia areata, vitiligo, psoriasis, and systemic sclerosis. So the aim of this review is to illustrate and highlight the role of zinc in health and disease.
References
1. Prasad AS, Miale A, Jr., Farid Z, Sandstead HH, Schulert AR. Zinc metabolism in patients with the syndrome of iron deficiency anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, dwarfism, and hypognadism. J Lab Clin Med. 1963;61:537-49.
2. Vallee BL, Falchuk KH. The biochemical basis of zinc physiology. Physiol Rev. 1993;73(1):79-118.
3. Bibi Nitzan Y, Cohen AD. Zinc in skin pathology and care. J Dermatolog Treat. 2006;17(4):205-10.
4. Sanna A, Firinu D, Zavattari P, Valera P. Zinc Status and Autoimmunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):68.
5. Fraker PJ, King LE. Reprogramming of the immune system during zinc deficiency. Annu Rev Nutr. 2004;24:277-98.
6. Lee GR. The Balance of Th17 versus Treg Cells in Autoimmunity. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(3):730.
7. Foster M, Samman S. Zinc and regulation of inflammatory cytokines: implications for cardiometabolic disease. Nutrients. 2012;4(7):676-94.
8. Gammoh NZ, Rink L. Zinc in Infection and Inflammation. Nutrients. 2017;9(6):624.
9. Gupta M, Mahajan VK, Mehta KS, Chauhan PS. Zinc Therapy in Dermatology: A Review. Dermatol Res Pract. 2014;2014:709152.
https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/709152
10. Najim RA, Sharquie KE, Farjou IB. Zinc Sulphate in the Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: an in Vitro and Animal Study. Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. 1998;93:831-7.
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02761998000600025&nrm=iso
11. Sharquie KE, Najim RA, Farjou IB, Al-Timimi DJ. Oral zinc sulphate in the treatment of acute cutaneous leishmaniasis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2001;26(1):21-6.
12. Sharquie KE, Noaimi AA, Al-Salam WS. Treatment of Acute Cutaneous Leishmaniasis by Oral Zinc Sulfate and Oral Ketocanazole Singly and in Combination. J Cosmet Dermatol Sci Appl. 2016;6(3):11.
www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=67129
13. Al-Gurairi FT, Al-Waiz M, Sharquie KE. Oral zinc sulphate in the treatment of recalcitrant viral warts: randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Br J Dermatol. 2002;146(3):423-31.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.04617.x
14. Mahajan BB, Dhawan M, Singh R. Herpes genitalis-Topical zinc sulfate: An alternative therapeutic and modality. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2013;34(1):32-4.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23919052
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3730471/
15. Sharquie KE, Najim RA, Al-Hayani RK, Al-Nuaimy AA, Maroof DM. The therapeutic and prophylactic role of oral zinc sulfate in management of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (ras) in comparison with dapsone. Saudi Med J. 2008;29(5):734-8.
16. Sharquie KE, Noaimi AA, Shwail ER. Oral Zinc Sulphate in Treatment of Alopecia Areata (Double Blind; CrossOver Study). J Clin Exp Dermatol Res. 2012;3(150): 1000150.
17. Sharquie KE, Najim RA, Al-Dori WS, Al-Hayani RK. Oral zinc sulfate in the treatment of Behcet's disease: a double blind cross-over study. J Dermatol. 2006;33(8):541-6.
18. Yaghoobi R, Omidian M, Bagherani N. Original article title: "Comparison of therapeutic efficacy of topical corticosteroid and oral zinc sulfate-topical corticosteroid combination in the treatment of vitiligo patients: a clinical trial". BMC Dermatol. 2011;11(7).
19. Sadeghian G, Ziaei H, Nilforoushzadeh MA. Treatment of localized psoriasis with a topical formulation of zinc pyrithione. Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat. 2011;20(4):187-90.
20. Mehdipour M, Taghavi Zenouz A, Bahramian A, Yazdani J, Pouralibaba F, Sadr K. Comparison of the Effect of Mouthwashes with and without Zinc and Fluocinolone on the Healing Process of Erosive Oral Lichen Planus. J Dent Res Dent Clin Dent Prospects. 2010;4(1):25-8.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22991591
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3429954/
21. Wolff K, Goldsmith LA, Katz SI, Gilchrest BA, Paller AS, Leffell DJ. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine. Mac Graw Hill; 7 2007:616-21.
22. Lotti T, Gori A, Zanieri F, Colucci R, Moretti S. Vitiligo: new and emerging treatments. Dermatol Ther. 2008;21(2):110-7.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1529-8019.2008.00178.x
23. Moretti S, Amato L, Bellandi S, Fabbri P. Focus on Vitiligo: A Generalized Skin Disorder. Eur J Inflamm. 2006;4(1):21-30.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1721727X0600400103
24. Lebwohl MG, Heymann WR, Berth-Jones J, Coulson I. Treatment of Skin disease. Comprehensive Therapeutic Strategies. Mosby Elsevier; 2006:683-7.
25. Whitton ME, Ashcroft DM, González U. Therapeutic interventions for vitiligo: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008;59(4):713-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.06.023.
26. Arora PN, Dhillon KS, Rajan SR, Sayal SK, Das AL. Serum Zinc Levels in Cutaneous Disorders. Med J Armed Forces India. 2002;58(4):304-6.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377123702800831
27. McGrath J, Murphy GM. The control of seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff by antipityrosporal drugs. Drugs. 1991;41(2):178-84.
28. Crutchfield CE, 3rd, Lewis EJ, Zelickson BD. The highly effective use of topical zinc pyrithione in the treatment of psoriasis: a case report. Dermatol Online J. 1997;3(1):3.
29. Sharquie KE, Noaimi AA, Auda AGR, Al-Janabi WK. Topical Therapy of Psoriasis Using Zinc Sulphate Cream 5% and 10%. J Dermatol Venereol. 2014;3:57-62.
30. Ismail SB, Kumar SK, Zain RB. Oral lichen planus and lichenoid reactions: etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, management and malignant transformation. J Oral Sci. 2007;49(2):89-106.
31. Suvarna C, K Chaitanya N, Ameer S, Mannava H, Bontala P, Alyami J, et al. A comparative evaluation on the effect of oral zinc 50 mg with or without 0.1% triamcinolone orabase on oral lichen planus. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2020;10(1):54-8.
32. Greenberg MS, Glick M. Burket’s Oral Medicine: Diagnosis and Treatment, 10th ed. New York: BC Decker Inc. 2003:74, 5, 107, 11, 310.
33. Edgar NR, Saleh D, Miller RA. Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis: A Review. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017;10(3):26-36.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28360966
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5367879/
34. Paus R, Olsen EA, Messenger AG. Hair growth disorders. In: Wolff K, Goldsmith LA, Katz SI, Gilchrest BA, Paller AS, Leffell DJ. Eds.). Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine 7th ed. New York, Mc Graw Hill Book Company. 2008;86:753-77.
35. Mancuso G, Balducci A, Casadio C, Farina P, Staffa M, Valenti L, et al. Efficacy of betamethasone valerate foam formulation in comparison with betamethasone dipropionate lotion in the treatment of mild-to-moderate alopecia areata: a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled, investigator-blinded trial. Int J Dermatol. 2003;42(7):572-5.
36. Nakajima T, Inui S, Itami S. Pulse corticosteroid therapy for alopecia areata: study of 139 patients. Dermatology. 2007;215(4):320-4.
37. Sharquie KE, Al-Jaralla FA, Sharquie IK. Intralesional Injection of Hyaluronic Acid as a Long-Lasting Therapy of Morphea Sclerosis. Am J Dermatol Venereol. 2019;8(3):45-8.
38. Brocard A, Quereux G, Moyse D, Dreno B. Localized scleroderma and zinc: a pilot study. Eur J Dermatol. 2010;20(2):172-4.
39. Sharquie KE, Noaimi AA, Abdulqader ET, Aljanabi WK. Clinical and Histopathological Evaluation of Pigmented Morphea with New Insight in Relation to Etiopathogenesis of the Disease. Am J Dermatol Venereol. 2020;9(2):21-6.
40. Wang F, Adam BA. Zinc in the treatment of chronic leg ulcers of systemic lupus erythematosus. Singapore Med J. 1982; 24(2):171-3.
41. Gaby AR. Natural remedies for scleroderma. Altern Med Rev. 2006;11(3):188-95.
42. Svenson KL, Hällgren R, Johansson E, Lindh U. Reduced zinc in peripheral blood cells from patients with inflammatory connective tissue diseases. Inflammation. 1985;9(2):189-99.
43. Keiser HR, Henkin RI, Bartter FC, Sjoerdsma A. Loss of Taste During Therapy With Penicillamine. JAMA. 1968;203(6): 381-3.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1968.03140060005002
44. Sharquie KE. Iraqi society of dermatology activities. https://www.imcas.com/en/attend/imcas-world-congress-2019.
45. Sharquie KE. Pearls in skin surgery and cosmetology 2019 28th. EADV Madrid.eadvprogram.manage.com en-GB.
46. Powell SR. The antioxidant properties of zinc. J Nutr. 2000;130(5S Suppl):1447S-54S.
47. Mahajan PM, Jadhav VH, Patki AH, Jogaikar DG, Mehta JM. Oral zinc therapy in recurrent erythema nodosum leprosum: a clinical study. Indian J Lepr. 1994;66(1):51-7.
48. Lutz G, Kreysel HW. Selective changes in lymphocytic differentiation antigens in the peripheral blood of patients with alopecia areata treated with oral zinc. Z Hautkr. 1990;65(2):132-4.
49. Sharquie KE. Intralesional therapy of cutaneous leishmaniasis with 2% zinc sulfate solution. J Pan Arab League Dermatol. 1996;7:41-6.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Inas K. Sharquie, Khalifa E. Sharquie , Wasan W. Al-bassam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Submission declaration
Authors retain the copyright to their work and grant the 'Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists (JPAD)' the right of first publication under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. This license allows others to share, adapt, and reuse the work for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as appropriate credit is given to the original authors and the journal.
By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that the work has not been published previously (except as an abstract, lecture, or academic thesis), is not under review elsewhere, and has been approved by all authors and relevant authorities. Once accepted, the article will be openly accessible under the CC BY 4.0 license, ensuring wide dissemination and reuse with proper attribution.
