This Polish study measured serum selenium, iron, zinc and copper in 115 kidney transplant recipients, comparing those treated with mycophenolate mofetil with those who were not. Serum zinc did not differ by mycophenolate use, while copper did. Zinc correlated positively with selenium.
Key numbers
- Serum zinc, all patients: median 692.30 µg/L, range 398.38 to 3615.26 µg/L, CV 47.39% (n = 115) (Table 2, p. 374).
- Mycophenolate-treated median 690.63 µg/L (n = 90) vs untreated 695.49 µg/L (n = 25), not significant (Table 2 and Results, p. 373).
- Selenium to zinc Spearman correlation 0.49 (P < 0.05) (Table 3, p. 377).
- The paper cites a normal serum zinc range of 0.75 to 1.0 mg/L (Discussion, p. 377).
Methods (brief)
Serum from routine diagnostic blood draws was analyzed by ICP-MS (NexION 350D) with methane to reduce interferences, in duplicate runs. Groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U tests because data were not normally distributed.
Evidence fitness
The study gives serum zinc distributions for one transplant clinic population and supports the point that zinc status in transplant recipients can be measured alongside other trace elements. It is not dietary exposure evidence and does not include healthy controls.
Limitations
The authors state that no patient deviated from normal serum levels, yet the median zinc they report (692.30 µg/L) is below the 0.75 to 1.0 mg/L range they cite. Diet and supplement use were not recorded. Reference material results are not given.
Related evidence
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