18. Characteristics of trials evaluating zinc supplements versus placebo.
| Trial ID | Country | Participants | Baseline ART use | Mean baseline blood zinc concentration (µg/L)1 | Mean baseline CD4+ cell count (cells/mm3) | Mean baseline viral load (copies/mL or log10 copies/mL) | Dose2 | Duration of supplementation |
| Asdamongkol 2013 THA3 | Thailand | HIV‐positive | 100% with immunological discordance | 80 (median) 76 (median) |
183 (median) 162 (median) |
Not reported | 15 mg daily | 6 months |
| Baum 2010 USA | USA | HIV‐positive | 62%4 | 60 (10)5 | 373 (280) | 4.0 (1.0) | 12 mg (women) 15 mg (men) |
18 months |
| Cárcamo 2006 PER | Peru | HIV‐positive plus persistent diarrhoea | 0% | 66 (median) 65 (median) |
65 (median) 55 (median) |
Not reported | 50 mg twice daily | 14 days |
| Green 2005 SGP | Singapore | HIV‐positive | 95% | 86.9 (15.0) 92.2 (18.3) |
112 (62) 131 (65) |
26 338 (38 335) 28 093 (41 056 |
50 mg daily | 28 days |
| Lawson 2010 NIG | Nigeria | HIV‐positive plus active TB | 0% | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 90 mg weekly6 | 6 months |
| Range 2006 TZA | Tanzania | HIV‐positive plus active TB | 0% | Not reported | 406 (median) 460 (median) |
3.83 (median) 3.90 (median) |
45 mg daily | 8 months |
Abbreviations: ART: Antiretroviral therapy; RDA: Recommended Daily Allowance; TB: Tuberculosis
1Reference value for zinc sufficiency: > 70 µg/L. 2RDA for a male aged 18 to 70 years is 11 mg daily. 3Asdamongkol 2013 THA: the trial authors stratified participants with or without low blood zinc concentrations and randomized them to receive zinc or placebo. 4Baum 2010 USA: proportion of trial participants who were on ART and had an undetectable viral load at baseline: 30% 5Baum 2010 USA: the trial authors excluded participants with normal baseline blood zinc levels (≥ 75 µg/L) 6Lawson 2010 NIG: the trial authors randomized participants to receive either weekly doses of zinc (90 mg) and vitamin A (5000 IU), zinc (90 mg) and placebo, or a dual placebo.