Zinc and zinc-dependent enzymes in penicillamine-treated patients with generalized scleroderma.

In 7 penicillamine-treated patients with generalized scleroderma zinc in serum, erythrocytes and granulocytes, alkaline phosphatase activity in serum and granulocytes, carbonic anhydrase activity in erythrocytes were examined. No significant difference was found between patient and control values, but granulocyte zinc strongly tended to be decreased (0.1 greater than p greater than 0.05). It is our hypothesis that penicillamine may produce a zinc depletion at a cellular level.