A Hypothesis for the Possible Role of Zinc in the Immunological Pathways Related to COVID-19 Infection
Front. Immunol. 11:1736. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01736
Ander Mayor-lbarguren1*t, Carmen Busca-Arenzana22 andAngel Robles-Marhuenda2t
1 Department of Dermatology, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain,
2 Department of Internal Medicine, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
KEY POINTS
- Zinc deficiency may be common and associated with severe infection.
- Zinc helps to enhance the interferon type 1 response to the virus and participates in many regulatory pathways.
- Low levels of zinc have been associated with higher IL-6 responses.
- IL-6 plays an important role in severe lung injury due to COVID-19 infection.
- Zinc inhibits SARS-CoV RNA polymerase, and thus its replication capacity.
- Zinc may increase the efficacy of antimalarial agents, since they are zinc ionophores.
- Differences in mortality due to COVID-19 infection may be explained to some degree by-174 IL-6 gene polymorphism.
Zinc (Zn) is the second most abundant trace metal in the human body after iron. However, unlike iron, there is no specialized zinc store (1). Zinc's functions can be classified as catalytic, structural, and regulatory (2). For example, important zinc metalloenzymes include alkaline phosphatase, RNA polymerases, and alcohol dehydrogenase (3). Zinc deficiency can precipitate an immune system imbalance, exemplified in severe deficiency by high susceptibility to infections, skin disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, weight loss, growth retardation and male hypogonadism, amongst other symptoms (4).
While severe zinc deficiency is rare, mild to moderate deficiency is more common worldwide ⑸.There are very low levels of free zinc in plasma, since it is mostly bound to proteins such as albumin, alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), and transferrin. Plasma zinc levels are therefore only around 1 ug/ml, equal to 0.1% of total body zinc, but are still the most important reservoir for zinc homeostasis, which requires “free” or “labile” zinc mobilization (6, 7). Kinetic studies suggest that only a small proportion of total body zinc (10%) represents the “functional pool” of zinc, located within the liver and other tissues, that exchanges rapidly with that found in the plasma (8, 9).
When this functional pool is depleted, zinc deficiency ensues (8). Intracellular zinc is distributed in zinc-storing vesicles called zincosomes, the nucleus and other organelles. In cytoplasm, zinc mostly binds zinc-chelating proteins called metallothioneins (MTs). Zinc homeostasis is understood to be the correct balance of zinc distribution. Internal zinc homeostasis is regulated by the cooperative activities of two metal transporter protein families. One family consists of 10 solute-linked carrier 30 (SLC30 or ZnT) exporters, and the other family consists of 14 solute-linked carrier 39 (SLC39 or ZIP) importers (10, 11). For instance, most labile zinc in the body is absorbed by intestinal epithelial cells via SLC39a4 protein, and excessive zinc is excreted through the kidneys, and the intestine via SLC39a5 (12).
Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life
Items in both categories Zinc and Virus are listed here:
- Zinc (which increases vitamin D in tissues) may both prevent and treat COVID-19
- COVID-19 possible therapies: Vitamin D, Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin C, Potassium, Resveratrol , etc.– Aug 5, 2020
- 7 reasons to think that Zinc should fight COVID-19 – July 2020
- Observations that Vitamin D, Zinc, and Selenium separately reduce COVID-19 – Aug 7, 2020
- Mild COVID-19 quickly treated by Zinc lozenges in 4 people – June 6, 2020
- Zinc, respiratory tract infections and COVID-19 – July 2020
- Fight COVID-19 with Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, Selenium, Resveratrol, etc. - Sardi May 12, 2020
- Common cold prevented and treated by Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echinacea – review April 2018
- Dengue fever immune response and micronutrients (vitamins D, E, A, and Zinc, Iron, Chromium) – Nov 2015
- Colds and flu prevented and treated by Vitamin D - many studies
Items in both categories Zinc and Immune System are listed here:
- Mild COVID-19 quickly treated by Zinc lozenges in 4 people – June 6, 2020
- Deficiencies in nutrients needed for a healthy immune system (Vitamin D, etc.) – June 2020
- Vitamins and Metals needed by the Immune System – Jan 2020
- Common cold prevented and treated by Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echinacea – review April 2018
- Dengue fever immune response and micronutrients (vitamins D, E, A, and Zinc, Iron, Chromium) – Nov 2015
- Zinc and Vitamin D
Vitamin D Life had previously proposed a Vitamin and Mineral Concentrate to prevent and treat COVID-19 which included Zinc
Both Zinc and Vitamin C need to be taken multiple times a day
Items in both categories Vitamin D Receptor and Virus are listed here:
- Common sense COVID-19 risk reduction - masks, social distancing, vitamin D - Oct 2020
- AI is examining 170,000 potential COVID-19 treatments, Vitamin D is one of only 6 found – Sept 4, 2020
- Vitamin D Receptor activation should reduce ARDS associated with CVOID-19 - June 2020
- Dengue viral production decreased 1000X if activate Vitamin D Receptor (in lab) – July 2020
- Vitamin D, Quercetin, and Estradiol all increase vitamin D in cells and increase genes which reduce COVID-19 – May 21, 2020
- Quercetin and Vitamin D —possible Allies Against Coronavirus - March 2020
- Risk of enveloped virus infection is increased 50 percent if poor Vitamin D Receptor - meta-analysis Dec 2018
- Hand, foot, and Mouth disease is 14X more likely if poor Vitamin D Receptor – Oct 2019
- Treating herpes reduced incidence of senile dementia by 10 X (HSV1 reduces VDR by 8X) – 2018
- Severe hand, foot, and mouth virus is 2.9 X more likely if poor Vitamin D receptor – Oct 2018
- Hepatitis B virus reduced by 5X the Vitamin D getting to liver cells in the lab – Oct 2018
- Some enveloped virus are 1.2 X more likely if have a poor Vitamin D Receptor -Aug 2018
- Severe Pertussis is 1.5 times more likely if poor vitamin D receptor – Feb 2016
- Dengue Fever associated with poor vitamin D receptor – July 2002
- Dengue virus 2X to 4X more likely if vitamin D receptor gene problems