Abstract
In 50 healthy Peruvian shantytown residents, zinc cream applied to tuberculosis skin-test sites caused a 32% increase in induration compared with placebo cream. Persons with lower plasma zinc had smaller skin-test reactions and greater augmentation with zinc cream. Zinc deficiency caused false-negative skin-test results, and topical zinc supplementation augmented antimycobacterial immune responses enough to improve diagnosis.
Publication types
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Randomized Controlled Trial
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Administration, Topical
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Adult
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Diagnosis, Differential
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Double-Blind Method
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False Negative Reactions
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Nutritional Status
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Peru
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Reproducibility of Results
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Risk Factors
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Sensitivity and Specificity
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Skin / drug effects*
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Social Class
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Socioeconomic Factors
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Trace Elements / blood
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Trace Elements / pharmacology
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Tuberculin Test / methods
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Tuberculin Test / standards*
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Tuberculosis / diagnosis*
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Zinc / blood
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Zinc / deficiency*
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Zinc / pharmacology*