[Changes in the blood zinc in the irritable bowel syndrome: a preliminary study].

Having outlined the important role played by zinc in the human metabolism and the alteration which may occur as a result of a zinc deficit, the paper reports a study of 50 patients affected by irritable bowel syndrome. Two subgroups have been identified (Ac and Ad), characterised by reduced blood zinc [correction of zinchemia] and increased fecal excretion of zinc. This finding suggests that the syndrome has a multifactorial pathogenesis and that over time it may follow a different pattern in the different subgroups.