Blood zinc status and zinc treatment in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

We investigated the zinc concentration in blood and the effect of zinc supplementation in 11 male outpatients seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus at stage 5 according to the Walter Reed classification. Zinc concentration was measured in serum, platelets, mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells, and erythrocytes. There was a significant increase in serum zinc concentration after zinc administration, but the zinc level in blood cells remained unchanged. All patients showed a progressive gain in body weight and a slight elevation in levels of CD4+ cells. No adverse side-effects were noticed.