Background
Transmembrane tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, found on monocytes, is a body's key defense against cancer. In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome, immunity is suppressed, resulting in a high risk of several inflammatory disorders and cancer. Patients and
Conclusion
Because functional transmembrane TNF-α was shown to be implicated in defense mechanisms, these findings suggest that zinc supplementation may benefit immune response against cancer in patients with DM and metabolic syndrome.
Methods
Seventeen patients with type 2 DM and metabolic syndrome were supplemented with either 30 mg of elemental zinc/day or placebo for eight weeks. Transmembrane TNF-α-expressing monocytes and lymphocytes, and plasma TNF-α levels were analyzed before and after supplementation.
Results
The present study revealed that zinc supplementation significantly increased the proportion of monocytes expressing transmembrane TNF-α. While the plasma TNF-α levels and TNF-α expressing lymphocytes were not significantly altered in the zinc-treated and placebo groups, higher proportion of TNF-α bound monocytes were observed in the zinc-treated group.