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28.15: Erythrocyte zinc (24c.15)

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    117305
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    The concen­tration of zinc in erythrocytes is approximately ten times higher than in plasma, and normally 8–14µg/g wet weight or10–11µg/1010cells. Zinc is present mainly as carbonic anhydrase (EC 4.2.1.1) (80–88%), with a small amount bound to Cu,Zn-SOD (EC 1.15.1.1) (~5%). Approximately 2%–3% is bound to low-molecular-weight-binding ligands. The life span of erythrocytes is 120d.

    The BOND Zinc Expert Panel classified erythrocyte zinc or erythrocyte membrane zinc as “not useful” based on the inconsistent response to changes in zinc intakes or plasma zinc concen­trations (King et al., 2015). For example, in a 49d zinc depletion study, no changes in erythrocyte zinc were seen, despite evidence of impaired taste acuity and immune function, two potential bio-indicators of functional zinc depletion (Ruz et al., 1992). In addition, no response was reported in zinc supple­mentation studies of 30d and 90d duration, even when a dose of 50mg of zinc/day was used (Thomas et al., 1992; Davis et al., 2000). Taken together, the results emphasize the low sensitivity of erythrocyte zinc.

    There are no standardized units for the expression of zinc concen­trations in erythrocytes, making com­parisons among studies difficult. The units can be based on hemoglobin, volume of packed cells, and per cell. There are presently no accepted standards for conversion among these units. No interpretive criteria have been established for erythrocyte zinc.


    This page titled 28.15: Erythrocyte zinc (24c.15) is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Rosalind S. Gibson via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.