Zinc absorption in patients with compensated alcoholic cirrhosis

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 less than 0.01). Median T1/2 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 less than 0.05). Median serum zinc value was 11 mumol/l (9-17 mumol/l) in cirrhotic patients and 16 mumol/l (12-17 mumol/l) in healthy subjects (P less than 0.01). Median erythrocyte zinc value was 224 mumol/l (205-281 mumol/l) in cirrhotics and 223 mumol/l (188-275 mumol/l) in healthy subjects (P less than 0.1). Six cirrhotic patients, of whom four took diuretics, had increased urinary zinc excretion (greater than 15 mumol/24 h). Zinc absorption seems intact in compensated alcoholic cirrhosis. The increased absorption and prolonged T1/2 of 65Zn might be compensatory to a moderate zinc depletion.