title: Plasma zinc levels in diabetes mellitus: relation to plasma albumin and amino acids.
abstract: Fasting plasma zinc levels were determined in 45 IDDM and in 40 NIDDM patients. Mean values were similar in both groups, but diabetic men showed a significantly higher plasma zinc (p less than 0.05) than diabetic women. In patients with diabetic nephropathy a lower zinc level was associated with decreased plasma albumin as compared to patients without complications (p less than 0.001). Neuropathy and macro-angiopathy were also associated with lower zincemia (p less than 0.05) but in the presence of normal albumin levels. In IDDM without nephropathy a significant positive correlation was found between plasma zinc and plasma glucose, albumin, branched chain amino acids and glutamine, while in NIDDM without nephropathy a significant positive correlation exists between plasma zinc and the amino acids glutamine, valine, histidine and lysine.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D001786:Blood Glucose; D012709:Serum Albumin; D015032:Zinc