Zinc nutrition in celiac sprue.

Zinc nutritional status was examined in 10 adult patients with biopsy-proven celiac disease; five of these patients were clinically well on gluten-free diets at the time of study. Plasma zinc and taste acuity were used as indices of zinc nutrition. Depression of plasma zinc and lowered taste discrimination were observed among the untreated patients, and some patients who were otherwise in clinical remission also had impaired zinc nutrition. With confirmation of plasma copper depression in patients with celiac sprue, these observations indicate that trace metal deficiency is another common nutritional complication of adult celiac disease.