Zinc Absorption in Patients with Compensated Alcoholic Cirrhosis

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.

Key words:

• Cirrhosis
• alcoholic
• zinc
• metabolism