ZINC CONCENTRATION IN SERUM AND LEUKOCYTES IN CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASES

In connection with inflammatory diseases of various origins an increas ing amount of research has been directed towards trace elements, in pa rticular zinc. However, proving changes in the zinc concentration of o rganisms or single cells still encounters major methodological difficu lties. This is also probably the reason why many of the research findi ngs to be found in current publications still significantly differ fro m one another. The present study utilizes a novel leucocyte-preparatio n method, which proved to be very reliable as regards the constancy of measured values. Thus, results obtained in 1989 which show a signific ant decrease in leucocyte zinc concentrations of patients with Crohn's disease were confirmed (1) as well as extended to the clinical pictur es of Colitis ulcerosa and chronic pancreatitis of ethylic origin by s tudying a group of patients. Significant changes in serum zinc levels could not be proved. There was also no correlation between the leucocy te zinc concentrations and the serum zinc concentrations, on the one h and 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.