Abstract
Hypozincemia is a constant finding in patients with acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE). Oral supplementation with large doses of zinc corrects both hypozincemia and clinical manifestations. We measured changes in serum zinc values in 3 healthy subjects and 4 patients with AE after an oral dose of zinc sulphate (1 mg/kg); increments were identical in patients and controls. We then studied zinc retention and elimination after a tracer dose of 37 kBq (1 μCi) of carrier-free ZnCl2 in 4 patients (aged 5-40 years, 1 male) and four controls (32-41 years, 2 males) using whole body counting technique. The radiation dose was accepted by the Institute for Radiation Protection and remained clearly below the background radiation dose. Body distribution of the label was similar in patients and controls. Zinc retention and biological half-life were calculated for counts between 7 and 120 days of the study by fitting single exponential function to the data. The patients showed a 23±1% retention (mean±SE) and 109±11 days' biological half-life. In female controls the values were 81±1% and 159±16 days, and in male controls 45±1% days, respectively. We conclude that tracer amounts of zinc are poorly absorbed in AE, and that the turnover of zinc appears to be faster in the patients than in controls also while patients are on zinc supplementation.
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Simell, O., Suomela, M., Rahola, T. et al. 1261 RETENTION AND ELIMINATION OF 65Zn IN ACRODERMATITIS ENTEROPATHICA: A STUDY WITH WHOLE BODY COUNTING. Pediatr Res 19, 321 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01291
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01291