Nutritional immunity is a process by which a host organism sequesters trace minerals in an effort to limit pathogenicity during infection. Circulating concentrations of minerals, such as iron and zinc, decline rapidly and dramatically with the inflammation associated with infection. The decline in iron and zinc is thought to starve invading pathogens of these essential elements, limiting disease progression and severity. The mechanisms contributing to the hypoferremia and hypozincemia of inflammation and potential interventions that exploit this process for the management of infection will be discussed.
Keywords: hepcidin; infection; inflammation; iron; zinc.