Zinc Absorption in Patients with Compensated Alcoholic Cirrhosis

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Abstract
Zinc absorption was measured by whole-body counting in 10 patients with compensated alcoholic cirrhosis without steatorrhoea and in 8 healthy subjects. After oral administration of 65Zn the absorption was measured at regular intervals until a straight time/activity retention curve was obtained in a semilogarithmic system, whereafter it was calculated by extrapolation to time zero. Cirrhotic patients had a median absorption of 69% (27–90%), compared with 42% (25–67%) in healthy subjects (P < 0.01). Median T½ of 65Zn as calculated from the retention curve was 156 days (83–280 days) in cirrhotic patients and 103 days (72–132 days) in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). Median serum zinc value was 11 μmol/l (9–17 μmol/l) in cirrhotic patients and 16 μmol/l (12–17 μmol/l) in healthy subjects (P < 0.01). Median erythrocyte zinc value was 224 μmol/l (205–281 μmol/l) in cirrhotics and 223 μmol/l (188–275 μmol/l) in healthy subjects (P > 0.1). Six cirrhotic patients, of whom four took diuretics, had increased urinary zinc excretion (>15 μmol/24 h). Zinc absorption seems intact in compensated alcoholic cirrhosis. The increased absorption and prolonged T½ of 65Zn might be compensatory to a moderate zinc depletion.

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