Serum Zinc and Haptoglobin in Noncirrhotic Azeri Patients with Chronic Active Hepatitis C: a Case-Control Study

The aim of present study was to compare levels of serum zinc and haptoglobin between patients with chronic active hepatitis C and controls. Two groups including Azeri patients with chronic active hepatitis C (n= 274) and their healthy family members (n= 100) were studied. Serum zinc and haptoglobin were measured using colorimetric and nephelometric methods, respectively. Patients were 156 males (56.9 %) and 118 females (43.1 %) with the mean age of 40.15 +/- 12.24 years. Controls were 56 males (56 %) and 44 females (44 %) with the mean age of 39.32 +/- 4.40 (p= 0.87 for sex and 0.51 for age). Both the mean levels of serum zinc (72.04 +/- 19.08 vs. 106.18 +/- 25.52 mu g/dL) and haptoglobin (0.72 +/- 0.45 vs. 1.08 +/- 0.34 g/L) were significantly lower in patients than in controls (p< 0.001 for both comparisons). Serum zinc concentration was significantly higher in males and did not correlate significantly with age, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), or serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT). Serum haptoglobin did not differ significantly between males and females, and it correlated significantly with age (r=-0.20), serum SGPT (r=-0.22), and SGOT (r=-0.20). This study showed lower levels of serum zinc and haptoglobin in patients with chronic hepatitis C than in controls. Major confounding factors in previous studies were left out.