[Zinc in the tissues: age dependence and local findings in cachexia, live cirrhosis and long-term intensive care].

Zinc concentrations in autopsy material of human heart muscle, skeletal muscle, iliac crest, pancreas and liver were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Age dependent differences of zinc concentrations are seen in the liver. High values shows liver of premature infants, a minimum is measured in childhood which is followed by an increase in adult and senile patients. The other organs show no significant changes. Different diseases like diabetes or liver cirrhosis do not influence the zinc concentration in skeletal muscles and iliac crest. Long-term intensive care patients show a marked decrease in zinc concentration of the heart muscle. In the cirrhotic liver the zinc pool is depleted. In diabetes mellitus zinc concentration of the whole pancreas is normal, in cachexia it is critically decreased.