INTESTINAL
ABSORPTION FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH HYPOZINCEMIA
Zhong S-L, Wang T-S
Hongqiao Hospital,
Chengdu, China
Objective: To
investigate the diagnostic signification of the zinc absorption test and
the intestinal absorption function in children with hypozincemia.
Methods:
The zinc absorption test and the d-xylose excretion test were performed in
44 children aged 3-4 years. The serum zinc level increment at the second
hour end after oral administration 100 mg of zinc sulfate and the urine
d-xylose excretion values in two hours after oral administration 1g of
d-xylose in hypozincemia group (n=21) were compared with those in normal
control group (n=23).
Results:
The serum zinc baseline levels, in hypozincemia and in control group, were
respectively 10.90±1.26μmol/L and 15.37±2.69μmol/L (t=5.20, p<0.01).The serum zinc level
increment in hypozincemia group was markedly higher than that in control
group (21.70±6.35μmol/L vs.
17.07±4.82μmol/L,
t=2.37,0.01<p<0.05). While there were no major differences in terms
of the urine d-xylose excretion in the both groups (230.4±101.0mg vs. 249.9±112.8mg, t=0.46,p>0.05).
Conclusions: 1. Generally, in the population study, the serum zinc level
increment after oral administration loaded-dose of zinc sulfate in
hypozincemia group was obviously higher than that in control group; while
there was quite markedly individual variance, but not a definite cut-off
value; therefore, it was not applicable that the zinc absorption test being
taken as a single index to assess the zinc nutrition state. 2. The elevated
intestinal zinc absorption in patients with hypozincemia was distinctive
and special, the hungry absorption, which may be involved in the
autoregulation mechanism of zinc balance.