Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Am Fam Physician. 2009 May 1;79(9):768-72.
Zinc is an essential micronutrient for human metabolism that catalyzes more than 100 enzymes, facilitates protein folding, and helps regulate gene expression. Patients with malnutrition, alcoholism, inflammatory bowel disease, and malabsorption syndromes are at an increased risk of zinc deficiency. Symptoms of zinc deficiency are nonspecific, including growth retardation, diarrhea, alopecia, glossitis, nail dystrophy, decreased immunity, and hypogonadism in males. In developing countries, zinc supplementation may be effective for the prevention of upper respiratory infection and diarrhea, and as an adjunct treatment for diarrhea in malnourished children. Zinc in combination with antioxidants may be modestly effective in slowing the progression of intermediate and advanced age-related macular degeneration. Zinc is an effective treatment for Wilson disease. Current data do not support zinc supplementation as effective for upper respiratory infection, wound healing, or human immunodeficiency virus. Zinc is well tolerated at recommended dosages. Adverse effects of long-term high-dose zinc use include suppressed immunity, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, anemia, copper deficiency, and possible genitourinary complications.
锌是人体代谢所必需的微量元素，它能催化超过 100 种酶，促进蛋白质折叠，并有助于调节基因表达。营养不良、酗酒、炎症性肠病和吸收不良综合征患者患锌缺乏症的风险增加。锌缺乏症的症状是非特异性的，包括生长迟缓、腹泻、脱发、舌炎、指甲营养不良、免疫力下降和男性性腺功能减退。在发展中国家，补锌可能对预防上呼吸道感染和腹泻有效，也可作为营养不良儿童腹泻的辅助治疗。锌与抗氧化剂联合使用可能对减缓中晚期年龄相关性黄斑变性的进展有一定效果。锌是治疗威尔逊病的有效药物。目前的数据不支持补锌对呼吸道感染、伤口愈合或人类免疫缺陷病毒有效。在推荐剂量下，锌的耐受性良好。长期大剂量使用锌的不良反应包括免疫抑制、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平降低、贫血、铜缺乏和可能的泌尿生殖系统并发症。
