Zinc deficiency in patients with chronic pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Zinc is a key element in numerous proteins and plays an important role in essential cell functions such as defense against free radicals and DNA damage repair. Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a chronic inflammation with progressive fibrosis of pancreas ultimately resulting in pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI), which is associated with malnutrition. Studies analyzing zinc levels in patients with CP are sparse and lead to conflicting results.