[Zinc in patients with ascites]

The concentrations of zinc (Zn) in blood and ascitic fluid (AF) in 48 patients with ascites (alcoholic liver cirrhosis: 32; liver carcinoma associated to cirrhosis: 7; different malignant neoplasias: 9). In addition, total protein, albumin and alpha 2-globulin as well as zinc, were determined in ascitic fluid. There was a decrease of zinc levels in serum, total protein, albumin and alpha 2-globulin in ascitic fluid of cirrhotic patients compared to neoplastic patients. The zinc concentration in ascitic fluid was related to the concentration of total protein, albumin, alpha 2-globulin. There is a parallel correlation between seric zinc and AF zinc.