Zinc Supplementation Improves Anticancer Activity of Monocytes in Type-2 Diabetic Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

摘要

Background: Transmembrane tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, 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 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-a-expressing monocytes and lymphocytes, and plasma TNF-a levels were analyzed before and after supplementation. Results: The present study revealed that zinc supplementation significantly increased the proportion of monocytes expressing transmembrane TNF-a. While the plasma TNF-a levels and TNF-a expressing lymphocytes were not significantly altered in the zinc-treated and placebo groups, higher proportion of TNF-a bound monocytes were observed in the zinc-treated group. Conclusion: Because functional transmembrane TNF-a 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.