The Prevalence of Zinc Deficiency in Crohn’s Disease Patients Original paper

What was studied?

The study investigates the prevalence of zinc deficiency in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Zinc is an essential trace element involved in various physiological processes, including immune function and intestinal health. The study aimed to evaluate serum zinc levels in CD patients and compare them with healthy controls, considering factors like age, sex, and site of inflammation in relation to zinc deficiency. Given the importance of zinc in immune function and gut barrier integrity, the study also explored its potential role in the pathogenesis and exacerbation of CD.

Who was studied?

The study included 65 patients with confirmed CD, recruited from a cohort of patients attending clinics in Iran. These patients were compared with 65 healthy controls who had no gastrointestinal diseases, no recent use of dietary supplements, and no gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting. Both groups were matched for age and sex to ensure comparability, and their serum zinc levels were measured and analyzed. Data was collected on the patients’ demographic factors, site of inflammation, and the presence of other comorbidities.

Most important findings

The study found that while the average serum zinc level in CD patients (88.1 ng/dL) was not significantly different from the control group (86.2 ng/dL), zinc deficiency was significantly more prevalent in CD patients. Specifically, 21.5% of CD patients had zinc deficiency compared to 7.7% in the control group (P=0.025). However, the difference in serum zinc levels between males and females, or across different age groups, was not statistically significant. The site of inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., ileitis, colitis, ileocolitis) did not appear to affect zinc levels or deficiency rates. These findings suggest that while serum zinc levels were relatively similar between CD patients and healthy controls, CD patients exhibited a higher rate of zinc deficiency.

Key implications

The study’s findings indicate that zinc deficiency is more common in CD patients than in healthy controls, highlighting the need for routine screening of zinc levels in this population. Zinc plays a crucial role in immune function and maintaining the intestinal barrier, and its deficiency could potentially contribute to disease exacerbation, malnutrition, and impaired immune responses in CD patients. Given the higher prevalence of zinc deficiency in CD, clinicians should consider zinc supplementation for patients with low serum zinc levels, especially since zinc deficiency can worsen IBD symptoms, delay recovery, and increase susceptibility to infections. Further studies are needed to better understand the long-term effects of zinc deficiency in CD and to explore whether zinc supplementation can improve disease outcomes.