Determination of hair trace elements in childhood celiac disease and in cystic fibrosis.

Applying proton-induced X-ray emission authors investigated the hair trace element contents in 10 children with acute celiac disease after 3 to 6 and 12 months long gluten-free diet; in 9 children with cystic fibrosis and in a control group (6 children) of the same age. There was no difference in Cu, Fe, Ca, Cl values between the examined groups. The Zn contents of the hair are significantly low in the group with acute celiac disease after a short-term diet and also in the group with cystic fibrosis, the data approach the normal range only after a year's diet. The significant rise of hair potassium contents is well indicated in patients with acute celiac disease and this rise may be due to the destruction of cell cuticles. In case of cystic fibrosis there is no significant rise of hair potassium value.