Zinc nutrition in Crohn's disease

A prospective evaluation of zinc status was made in 63 randomly selected patients with Crohn's disease. In the patients, mean serum and 24-hr urinary zinc values--105 microgram/dl and 383 microgram/day, respectively--were not different from controls. However, 46% of these patients had less than normal serum zinc and 36% had low urinary zinc excretions. Simultaneous reductions in both serum and urinary zinc were detected in 19% of patients. A direct correlation (P = 0.01) was found between serum levels of zinc and the concentration of albumin, the major zinc-binding protein, in outpatients but not in hospitalized patients or patients with Crohn's disease as a whole. Intake of zinc was surprisingly good--a mean intake of 13.4 +/- 1.4 mg/day. A significant (P = 0.006) association was found between urinary zinc and the Crohn's disease activity index but not between serum zinc concentration and this index. No association was found between zinc measurements and the presence or absence of fistulas, use of prednisone or sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), large bowel resections, and length of small bowel resected.