Evaluation of Zinc Status in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

摘要

Objective : The goal of our work is to evaluate zinc status in cirrhotic patients that may indicate the pathophysiological as well as therapeutic role of zinc in liver cirrhosis. Background : Cirrhosis is the development of regenerative nodules in response to chronic liver injury, which leads to portal hypertension and end-stage liver disease. Zinc (Zn) is an important unique salt with various effects that depends on catalytic and structural function in anvarious number of enzymes and “Zn-finger” proteins. Patients with cirrhotic liver have low level of serum Zinc and their clinical condition improves with Zinc supplementation. Subjects and Methods : This study was carried on 53 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and 10 normal volunteers as control. They include 33males and 20 females, their ages ranged from 33 to 70 years. Patients taken from inpatients and outpatient gastroenterology clinic of Menoufia University Hospital. Blood samples were obtained and for all these samples complete blood assay (CBC), Complete liver parameters (AST, ALT, Prothrombin time (PT), GGT, Alkphosphatase, and total bilirubin), estimation of serum zinc levels, albumin level in serum and abdominal ultrasound were done. Results : Our study shows that in cirrhotic patients, there is low level of serum Zinc and shows also that Child C patients had lowest serum level of Zinc than Child B or A. Our study also shows low level of Hb, platelets, GGT and albumin in patients rather than control also there are increased level of RBCs, ALT, AST, PT, INR and bilirubin in patients rather than control. Conclusion : There is low zinc level in serum of patients with liver cirrhosis. As cirrhosis increases, level of serum Zinc decreases. Hb, platelets, GGT and albumin are low while RBCs, AST, ALT, PT, INR and bilirubin are higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than control.