the concentration of serum zinc in celiac patients compared to healthy subjects in tehran

aim : this study evaluated serum levels of zinc in patient with cd compare to healthy subjects. background : celiac disease (cd) is characterized by small intestinal malabsorption of nutrients as a consequence of ingestion of wheat gluten. zinc is an essential trace element that it has vital biological functions. patients and methods : sera of 30 celiac cases and 30 healthy normal cohorts as control group were obtained. atomic absorption spectrophotometer was employed for estimating serum zinc level. results : zinc concentrations in patients diagnosed with cd were significantly lower than healthy subjects (75.97±12 compared with 92.83±18, p-value < 0.0001). conclusion : the result of this study shows that serum zinc concentration is decreased in celiac patients compare to healthy controls. serum zinc may thus be a marker of cd in adults presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms.