Clinical and biological correlations related to zinc depletion and lipid peroxide generation in some metabolic and endocrine diseases.

Abstract

A great many apparently unrelated disorders present similar clinical features. Among pathogenetic mechanisms which could explain this phenomenon we studied, in some metabolic and endocrine diseases, the possible role of zinc (Zn) in correlation with lipid peroxidation (oxygen radicals). In the patients with Zn depletion (14 cases) the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) (marker for lipid peroxidation) was higher than in controls (10 subjects). Zincemia 57.62 vs 100 micrograms/dl, p less than 0.001, MDA 1.24 vs 0.7 nM/l, p less than 0.01. The clinical tests used were the gustative test for ZnSO4 1% and a clinical severity score. Between Zn and MDA levels a strong correlation was found in hypercortisolism cases, "r" = -0.82, p less than 0.01. After Zn therapy the MDA levels lowered by 23.55%, and the clinical score and gustative test improved significantly: chi 2 = 16.98, p less than 0.01 (for gustative test), chi 2 = 31.84, p less than 0.001 (for clinical score). These results suggest that the clinical features could be attributed both to Zn depletion and to oxygen radicals excess. However, only in the cases with hypercortisolemia (endogenous and exogenous) does the Zn-peroxide relationship seem significant. This fact suggests that in the course of corticosteroid therapy, Cushing's syndrome and reactive hypercortisolism Zn supplementation should be beneficial.