Zinc Metabolism and Chronic Alcoholism

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Abstract
Previous studies have shown that patients with Laennec''s cirrhosis have low serum and hepatic zinc levels, but excrete excessive amounts of Zn in the urine. The urinary excretion of Zn in noncirrhotic alcoholic subjects was studied. In 42 of 124 chronic alcoholic subjects the excretion of Zn in the urine was found to be abnormally high. Age, duration of alcoholism, blood level of alcohol and rate of alcohol metabolism could not be correlated with the abnormality in Zn excretion. The abnormal zincuria was transient, disappearing within 2 weeks in 80% of those studied. Abnormal Zn excretion was present in each of the 7 patients diagnosed as having delerium tremens. The occurrence of this abnormaility of Zn excretion in chronic alcoholic subjects and in those with postalcoholic cirrhosis is of uncertain significance. The possibility that Zn deficiency may occur in these conditions seems likely.