[Plasmatic and urinary zinc in rheumatoid arthritis (author's transl)].

The analysis of the plasmatic and urinary levels of zinc in 50 patients presenting a non inflammatory disease and in 50 rheumatoid arthritis, points out to an high significative difference between plasmatic data (13,37 +/- 2,72 mumol/l and 11,32 +/- 2,22 mumol/l respectively ; p less than 0,001). No difference was found in urinary levels and neither age, nor sex, duration of the disease, most biologic parameters, nor long term medications can explain the difference which seems related to the inflammatory tissue process.