[Zinc deficiency in children infected with Giardia lamblia]

The group of children infested with Giardia intestinalis consisted of 52 children aged from 3 to 10 years. The infestation was diagnosed on the basis of duodenal contents examination. The control group comprised 50 children in whom no infestation with intestinal parasites was found. Mean age of children in both groups was not different. Disturbances were found in zinc metabolism in children with Giardia intestinalis infestation. Mean serum zinc concentration in those children was 58% of serum zinc concentration in children in the control group. Similarly, zinc concentration in the erythrocytes of children in the infested group was lower and was 64% of the concentration in children in the control group. Elimination of zinc with urine in infested children was lower than in the control group, and was 36% of the level in non-infested children. Mean concentrations of serum zinc carriers, total protein, albumin fraction and transferrin were not differing between both studied group of children. Also the concentration of picolinic acid--a zinc absorption factor in the gastrointestinal tract--in duodenal contents was similar in both groups. The above mentioned results show that in children infested with Giardia intestinalis a decrease occurs of zinc absorption from the gastrointestinal tract which causes zinc deficiencies in the those children.