Table 9 Comparison of T cell counts and functions in aged Individuals and zinc-deficient state

T cells

Thymus size

↓

↓

[285,286,287] ↓

[334, 335] ↓

Secretion/activity of thymulin by thymic epithelial cells

↓

↓

[289, 290] ↓

[290, 292, 297, 298] ↓

Apoptosis

↑

↑

[313, 314] ↑

[315] ↑

Naïve T cells: Cell number

↓

↘

[308, 336,337,338,339] ↓

[308] ↓

[315, 340] ↘

Memory T cells: Cell number

↑

↑

[338, 341, 342] ↑

[343] ↗

[344] ↑

Tregs: Cell number

↓

↘

[322] ↓

[323] ↗

[324] ↓

Th1/Th2 ratio

↓

↓

[15, 316] ↓

[15, 318, 343] ↓

IL-2 and IFN-γ production

↓

↓

[309, 310] ↓

[307,308,309, 318] ↓