Authors: 1Rudy Hartono, 2Bambang Wirjatmadi, 3Yoes Prihatna Dachlan
1Graduate School of Public Health, Airlangga University Surabaya; Nutrition Department of Health Polytechnic of Makassar, Indonesia, Indonesia
2Community Nutrition Department, Faculty of Public Health, Airlangga University Surabaya, Indonesia
3Clinical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University Surabaya, Indonesia
Email: dinomks70@gmail.com
Abstract
Advanced age is one of the population groups that are at risk to changing immune function. Changes in the body’s immune function primarily in cell-mediated immune system. In accordance with increasing age resulted in the immune system of the elderly decreased immune response against infectious and non-infectious diseases. Based on that caused the elderly easy to develop diseases such as infectious diseases, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, and other chronic diseases. The increasing number of elderly is one indicator of the success of development as well as challenges in development. The purpose of this study was to analyze the increase in elderly immunity after getting zinc. This research is a pre-experimental research in the treatment group were given a sample that zinc supplements. We then measured IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-10 in each group. After that the measurement results analysis to determine differences in the expression of immune aging. Analysis of normality and homogeneity test for determining the parametric or non-parametric statistics with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Furthermore, if eligible, the parametric analysis used in this research is to use before after t test to see the effects of each intervention group (pre-post test) and if it does not qualify using nonparametric statistics were similar. The results showed that zinc supplementation has the potential to raise the profile of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-10 were significantly (p <0.05) in the elderly. Zinc supplementation would increase IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-10 so as to maintain the health of the elderly. Suggestions elderly should consume zinc to maintain immunity to stay healthy.
Keywords: Elderly, zinc, immune, IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-10
