A study of zinc distribution in human serum

✍ Scribed by Eugene L. Giroux; Monique Durieux; Paul J. Schechter

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1976
• Weight: 444 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-3061
• DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3061(00)82019-0

✦ Synopsis

The partition of zinc in human serum between two major zinc-binding proteins. albumin and cY,-macroglobulin, was studied in 28 control subjects and in 156 hospitkliied patients_ Albumin-bound zinc was both the major and the more dynamic of the serum zinc components. Over a wide range of values the concentrations of albumin-bound zinc and total serum zinc were highly correlated (r=0.91) with each other, as were concentrations of albumin and albumin-bound zinc (r=O.69). +-Macroglobulin-bound zinc was not strongly correlated either with total serum zinc or with the serum concentration of a,-macroglobulin. Twenty-four hour urinary excretion of zinc was not correlated with any of the serum zinc parameters. To a large extent it appears that total serum zinc concentration reflects serum albumin concentration.