Reduced binding of added zinc in serum of patients with decompensated hepatic cirrhosis.

Binding of zinc to macromolecules when added to serum was measured by ultrafiltration. At a final ratio of 0.6 mol zinc per mol albumin, zinc dissociable by glycine was significantly greater in diluted serum from patients with decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis than in normal serum samples similarly prepared. Low serum zinc concentrations, often observed in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, may be related in part to a reduced affinity of plasma albumin for exchangeable zinc.