Evidence of cellular zinc depletion in hospitalized but not in healthy elderly subjects.

Cellular immune function declines with age and is implicated in the increased incidence of cancer, and morbidity and mortality associated with infections in elderly people. Elderly people are at risk of nutritional depletion, including of zinc, and zinc is known to influence immunity. The present study assessed zinc status in both healthy elderly subjects and elderly inpatients. Polymorphonuclear-cell zinc was decreased in the hospitalized subjects and 27% had values below the reference range for healthy elderly and young subjects. Since PMNC zinc is decreased in experimental zinc depletion and correlates with muscle zinc, we suggest that 27% of the patients studied may be zinc depleted and may benefit from zinc supplementation.