Zinc concentration in serum and leucocytes in chronic inflammatory diseases

In connection with inflammatory diseases of various origins an increasing amount of research has been directed towards trace elements, in particular zinc. However, proving changes in the zinc concentration of organisms or single cells still encounters major methodological difficulties. This is also probably the reason why many of the research findings to be found in current publications still significantly differ from one another. The present study utilizes a novel leucocyte-preparation method, which proved to be very reliable as regards the constancy of measured values. Thus, results obtained in 1989 which show a significant decrease in leucocyte zinc concentrations of patients with Crohn's disease were confirmed (1) as well as extended to the clinical pictures of Colitis ulcerosa and chronic pancreatitis of ethylic origin by studying a group of patients. Significant changes in serum zinc levels could not be proved. There was also no correlation between the leucocyte zinc concentrations and the serum zinc concentrations, on the one hand and the clinical parameters C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), body weight, humeral muscle area as well as activity of the disease, on the other.