Fig. 5

Differential effects of short-term zinc supplementation of zinc-deficient elderly subjects. A Significant increase in dietary zinc intake after short-term zinc supplementation (ZS) of zinc-deficient (ZD) seniors as measured by a zinc-specific food-frequency questionnaire calculating an adjusted zinc diet score. A short-term ZS leads to a significant increase in serum zinc concentration (B) and freely available zinc (C) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (all n = 10). Short-term ZS significantly decreased CREM \(\alpha\) protein (D) and RNA (E) expression in resting PBMC (both n = 9). One representative Western blot is shown in (D). Short-term ZS significantly increased IL-2 production (F) by PBMC after a 48-h period of stimulation with 2.5 µg/mL PHA-L (n = 8). IL-2 levels in the supernatants were quantified by ELISA. The figures contain paired parameters only, i.e. individuals who were primarily zinc deficient but completed short-term ZS. Data are shown as means + SD. Normally distributed data in A, B, D, and E were tested for significance using paired Student's t test (*(p < 0.05)); in the case of C and F, two-tailed Wilcoxon test was applied due to non-normal distribution (*(p < 0.05))