These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Taste alterations in liver cirrhosis: are they related to zinc deficiency?
    Author: Sturniolo GC, D'Incà R, Parisi G, Giacomazzi F, Montino MC, D'Odorico A, Soranzo P, Naccarato R.
    Journal: J Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis; 1992 Mar; 6(1):15-9. PubMed ID: 1638179.
    Abstract:
    Patients with chronic liver disease may have taste impairment and altered zinc metabolism. We evaluated Taste Detection Thresholds (TDTs) in 60 patients with liver cirrhosis and correlated the findings with disease severity and alcoholic etiology. Plasma zinc levels and urinary output were also measured. A placebo-controlled treatment trial with zinc sulphate was made in 15 patients with compensated cirrhosis in order to ascertain whether zinc deficiency caused taste alterations. Taste detection of salty, sweet and acid tastants was significantly impaired in all cirrhotic patients in comparison with normal subjects. TDTs were not influenced either by the etiology or the severity of the disease. All groups of patients had low plasma zinc levels and decompensated cirrhosis had a significantly increased urinary output of zinc. No correlation was found between taste acuity and plasma zinc levels when only cirrhotic patients were considered. The effect of zinc supplementation on TDTs did not appear to be inferior to that of the placebo. Our results indicate that taste impairment in cirrhotics is due to the disease process per se and not to zinc deficiency.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]