Abstract
Serum zinc was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in sixty-five children with atopic eczema and seventy-nine control children. The mean serum zinc of the patients, (11.4 ± 2.0 μmol/l) was significantly lower than that of the controls (13.7 ± 2.3 μmol/l, P <0.0001). There was no significant correlation between the patient's serum zinc concentration and either the height/weight centile or a subjective assessment of severity and extent of the eczema. Of eleven patients with serum zinc below 10 μmol/l, six had recurrent infections of the skin, a significantly greater proportion than in patients whose serum zinc was 10 μmol/l or above. It is suspected that the decreased plasma zinc concentration in children with eczema is a non-specific consequence of the dermatological disorder, and therefore there is no indication for zinc supplementation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 597-601 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | British Journal of Dermatology |
| Volume | 111 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - 1984 |