A Syndrome of Acute Zinc Deficiency During Total Parenteral Nutrition in Humans
April 1976
in “
Annals of Surgery
”
TLDR Zinc is crucial in nutrition, and its deficiency can cause health issues like diarrhea and hair loss, which improve with zinc therapy.
The study observed 37 adult patients receiving total parenteral alimentation and monitored their zinc and copper levels. It found that while urinary zinc loss was high during catabolism, severe plasma zinc depletion only occurred during sustained anabolism and weight gain. In 4 patients, plasma zinc levels dropped significantly, and 3 developed symptoms including diarrhea, mental depression, dermatitis, and alopecia. These symptoms responded well to zinc therapy, although hair regrowth was delayed. The syndrome observed was similar to conditions in zinc-deficient swine and Acrodermatitis enteropathica in infants. The study concluded that zinc is crucial for human metabolism and should be included in parenteral nutrition, especially during rapid weight gain.
