Zinc levels in children with community-acquired pneumonia: a comparative study in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection

It has been proven that a deficiency of zinc, can significantly weaken the body's immune response to infection. Zinc plays a key role in many immunological processes, such as the proliferation and differentiation of lymphocytes, antibody synthesis, and phagocytosis. Aim: to assess the dynamics of zinc levels in pediatric patients with community-acquired pneumonia, taking into account the presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2 co-infection in the acute phase of the disease and the recovery period. Materials and methods. The study included 114 children aged 6 to 18 years. The Basic group consisted of 81 patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia, divided into subgroups based on the presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2 co-infection. The Control group consisted of 33 healthy children matched by age and gender. Zinc levels in serum were determined for all children. The results of the study were processed using Microsoft Excel 2013. Results. All children in the Basic group had decreased serum zinc levels in both the acute phase and convalescent periods. Children with severe community-acquired pneumonia, regardless of viral infection, showed only a slight increase in zinc levels with standard treatment. A significant decrease in serum zinc levels was found in all children with pneumonia compared to the Control group. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated a more pronounced zinc deficiency compared to those with pneumonia of other etiologies. During treatment, a gradual increase in zinc levels was observed in all patient groups. Conclusions. The study revealed a decrease in zinc concentration in children with community-acquired pneumonia, both during the acute phase and during the convalescent period of the disease. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection had significantly lower zinc levels compared to children without detected coronavirus. The study was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee for all participants in the process. The informed consent was obtained from children and parents for participation. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.