title: Effects of zinc supplementation on serum zinc concentration and ratio of apo/holo-activities of angiotensin converting enzyme in patients with taste impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of zinc supplementation on hypogeusia, serum zinc concentration and the ratio of apo/holo-activities of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE ratio) in patients with taste impairment. ACE ratio was used as an index of zinc nutritional status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients complaining of taste impairment were divided into two groups: zinc deficiency taste impairment (n=12) and idiopathic taste impairment (n=28). Patients with zincemia values of less than 63 microg/dl with no history of other disorder or medication known to cause dysgeusia were diagnosed as zinc deficiency group, while those with the same condition and values more than 64 microg/dl were considered to belong to the idiopathic group. Patients orally received 150 mg of polaprezinc containing 33 mg of zinc every day. Subjective symptom was scored according to visual analogue scale (VAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Zinc supplementation improved hypogeusia in both idiopathic and zinc deficiency groups. The mean improvements of VAS were 3.02+/-3.03 in the idiopathic group and 3.13+/-2.53 in the zinc deficiency group. Thus, there were no significant differences in idiopathic and zinc deficiency groups. Significant correlations were found between the improvement of VAS score and the ACE ratio after zinc supplementation in both idiopathic and zinc deficiency groups. On the contrary, significant correlations were not found between the improvement of VAS score and the zinc concentration in the serum after zinc supplementation in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicated that zinc deficiency is a predominant factor underlying taste impairment and ACE ratio may be a predictor of the prognosis for taste impairment after zinc supplementation, in addition to a more sensitive indicator of zinc nutrition than zinc concentration in the serum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Neuroscience, Institute of Health Bioscience University of Tokushima Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takaoka
authors.forename: Nobuko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sarukura
authors.forename: Chizuru
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Bukasa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kalubi
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000370:Ageusia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002336:Carnosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004408:Dysgeusia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood*; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C061957:polaprezinc; D002336:Carnosine; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D015032:Zinc