Serum zinc levels in celiac disease

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Nutritional Science
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder affecting the small intestine.
• Nutritional deficiencies, including zinc, are common in celiac disease.
• Zinc plays a crucial role in immune function and growth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate serum zinc levels in children diagnosed with celiac disease.
• To compare zinc levels between newly diagnosed and established celiac disease patients and healthy controls.
• To assess the impact of malnutrition and stunting on zinc levels in pediatric celiac disease.

Main Methods:

• Serum zinc levels were measured in 30 children with celiac disease at diagnosis.
• Zinc supplementation was administered for 3 months.
• Zinc levels were re-evaluated at 3 and 6 months post-inclusion.
• Comparison was made with control groups and stratified by malnutrition and stunting status.

Main Results:

• Newly diagnosed celiac disease patients had significantly lower serum zinc levels (0.64+/-0.34 microg/mL) compared to controls (0.94+/-0.14 microg/mL).
• No significant difference in zinc levels was observed in patients with established celiac disease.
• Severely malnourished and stunted celiac children showed significantly lower zinc levels, regardless of treatment.

Conclusions:

• Children with newly diagnosed celiac disease exhibit low serum zinc.
• Severe malnutrition and stunting are associated with reduced zinc levels in pediatric celiac disease.
• Monitoring and potentially supplementing zinc may be important for this patient population.