Oral substitution of zinc in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases

During the last years there was an increase in research about the role of trace elements in inflammatory diseases of unknown etiology. In this connection zinc is one of the most important elements especially as a factor influencing immunology. There are even methodical difficulties in the determination of trace elements in various groups. This is the reason for greatly differing results in the current literature. Misinterpretations of the functional efficacy of zinc in the human organism led to unjustified employment of trace element substitution or, on the ether hand, to a denial of necessary trace element substitution. In the present study we try to answer the question whether an oral substitution of zinc is possible at all in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, how frequently it is recommended or necessary. A randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blind study was developed and performed in patients with chronic pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease to answer this question. Zinc was determined in the serum as well as in leucocytes. A leucocyte preparation method for determination of the leucocyte zinc level, which had proven to be reliable in a previous study, was chosen to achieve the best possible result. In the present study a short-term positive effect on the degraded intracellular zinc content was observed by oral substitution of zinc, especially in patients with Crohn's disease, which could not be demonstrated in comparison with the placebo group. A long-term effect could not be demonstrated. There were no changes of serum zinc, iron, and copper contents in all 3 diseases under the therapy.