Intestinal zinc absorption in cirrhotic patients.

We studied intestinal zinc absorption and daily urinary zinc excretion in 13 healthy controls and 27 cirrhotic patients (14 alcoholics, 13 non-alcoholics) with normal serum creatinine levels. Intestinal zinc absorption was determined by the oral zinc tolerance test. Serum levels were significantly lower in cirrhotics, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic, than in healthy controls (6.2 +/- 2.1 mumol/L vs. 11.6 +/- 2.1 mumol/L; p less than 0.001). Daily urinary zinc excretion was significantly higher in alcoholic cirrhotics (17.6 +/- 9.4 mumol/d vs. 11.4 +/- 4.1 mumol/d; p less than 0.05). Intestinal zinc absorption was significantly reduced in cirrhotics and correlated with the degree of liver dysfunction. During the oral tolerance test, urinary zinc excretion was not significantly higher in cirrhotics than in controls. We conclude that the low serum zinc levels in cirrhotics are of multifactorial origin. Impaired intestinal absorption seems to play a role, particularly in patients with more severe liver dysfunction, but increased urinary excretion may contribute to zinc deficiency in alcoholics.