02081nas a2200361   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653003900055653001200094653001400106653001400120653000800134653001100142653003200153653001500185653001000200653001500210653000900225653002300234653004600257653001400303653001400317653003100331653001600362653002200378653000900400100001800409245008500427300000900512490000700521520117700528022001401705       1997                            d  c1997 Jul10aAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome10aAnimals10aApoptosis10aCytokines10aHIV10aHumans10aHypersensitivity, Immediate10aLeishmania10aLiver10aMast Cells10aMice10aModels, Biological10aMurine Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome10aTh1 Cells10aTh2 Cells10aThymic Factor, Circulating10aVaccination10aVirus Replication10aZinc1 aSprietsma J E00aZinc-controlled Th1/Th2 switch significantly determines development of diseases.  a1-140 v493 a<p>Functional, excessive-possibly temporary-deficiencies of the trace element zinc can change immune functions prematurely from predominantly cellular Th1 responses to humoral Th2 responses. T helper (Th1) cells produce cytokines such as interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon gamma, thereby controlling viral infections and other intracellular pathogens more effectively than Th2 responses through cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-6 and IL-10. The accelerated shift from the production of extra Th1 cells during these cellular immune activities to more Th2 cells with their predominantly humoral immune functions, caused by such a zinc deficiency, adversely influences the course of diseases such as leprosy, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis and AIDS, and can result in allergies. It is noteworthy that AIDS viruses (HIVs) do not replicate in Th1 cells, which probably contain more zinc, but preferentially in the Th0 and Th2 cells; all the more so, because zinc and copper ions are known to inhibit intracellular HIV replication. Considering the above Th1/Th2 switch, real prospects seem to be offered of vaccination against such parasites as Leishmania and against HIVs.</p>  a0306-9877