Serum Zinc Levels in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Case-Control Study

Serum zinc levels in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have not been previously studied.

The aim was to investigate the association between HS and serum zinc levels.

A multicenter, prospective clinical and analytical case-control study was designed to assess the possible association between HS and serum zinc levels. Consecutive patients with moderate or severe HS (Hurley II or III exclusively) were enrolled. A control population was recruited from primary care clinics. Fasting blood samples were extracted from each patient and serum zinc levels determined. Candidate predictors for low serum zinc levels were determined using logistic regression models.

In total, 122 patients with HS and 122 control subjects were studied. Of the 122 HS patients, 79 (64.8%) were Hurley II and 43 (35.2%) were Hurley III. Low serum zinc levels (≤ 83.3 µg/dL) were more prevalent in HS (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] 6.7, P < 0.001). After logistic regression analysis, low serum zinc levels were associated with Hurley III (ORa 4.4, P < 0.001), Dermatology Life Quality Index ≥ 9 (ORa 3.1, P = 0.005), number of affected sites ≥ 3 (ORa 2.4, P = 0.042), genital location (ORa 2.9, P = 0.009), and perineal location (ORa 2.5, P = 0.025).

Low serum zinc levels are more prevalent in HS than in a healthy population, an indicator that may also be associated with disease severity.