The nutritional importance of zinc is known for quite some time, but in the past few decades zinc’s importance in immune modulation has risen. The objective of this review article is to describe the mechanisms that are involved in the regulation of zinc homeostasis and assess their effects on the immune reaction. The main focus is on those which are associated in the physiopathology of rheumatoid arthritis. Zinc functions as a modulator of the immune response via its availability that is closely regulated by various transporters and regulators. Once this mechanism is disturbed, zinc availability is decreased and alters the survival, proliferation and differentiation of the cells of different organs and systems, especially cells of the immune system.

Zinc deficiency can affect cells that are involved in both innate and adaptive immunity at the survival, proliferation and maturation levels. These cells consist of monocytes, polymorphonuclear-, natural killer-, T-, and B-cells. Functions of T cell and the balance between the diverse T helper cell subsets are susceptible to changes in zinc status. Acute zinc deficiency can result in a decrease of innate and adaptive immunity and chronic deficiency can increase inflammation. In chronic deficiency, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines rises, which can influence the consequence of a huge number of inflammatory diseases consisting of rheumatoid arthritis also.

Source: Bonaventura P, Benedetti G, Albarède F, Miossec P. Zinc and its role in immunity and inflammation. Autoimmun Rev. 2015; 14(4):277-285. doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2014.11.008