title: Low serum zinc levels in patients undergoing coronary angiography correlate with immune activation and inflammation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low serum zinc concentrations are associated with adverse outcomes. To explain this phenomenon we aimed to investigate whether low zinc levels are related to immune activation, renal function and coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum concentrations of zinc and the immune activation markers neopterin and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 2048 patients derived from the LUdwigshafen RIsk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study, a cohort study among patients referred for coronary angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Zinc concentrations did not differ between patients with CAD (mean±SD: 13.3±2.4 μmol/L) and controls (13.3±2.2 μmol/L; Welch's t test: p=n.s.) but CAD patients had higher neopterin (8.6±7.4 nmol/L) and CRP (9.7±19.6 mg/L) concentrations compared to controls (neopterin: 7.5±4.8 nmol/L, p=0.0005; CRP: 5.5±10.0 mg/L, p<0.0001). There was an inverse correlation between serum zinc concentrations and neopterin (Spearman's rank correlation: r(s)=-0.222) and CRP (r(s)=-0.166; both p<0.0001) concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate increased inflammatory processes in patients with low zinc levels. Further studies should clarify whether inflammation related processes such as renal wasting contribute to zinc deficiency and underlie the adverse health consequences of low serum zinc levels.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Fritz Pregl Strasse 3, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murr
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pilz
authors.forename: Tanja B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Grammer
authors.forename: Marcus E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kleber
authors.forename: Bernhard O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: März
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015032:Zinc