ZINC NUTRITIVE ANO SKIN: AN OVERVIEW

Summary Zinc is an essenti al trace element which participates in several bi ochemicaJ pathways . l t is also im­ portant fo r skin homeostasis, as shown by the relevant changes of skin and its appendages during the pri mary fo rm of z inc defi ciency, named "acrodermatiti s enteropathica" (AE). Cutaneous lesions resembling AE may also develop owin g to acquired zinc defi ciency due to multiple causes: nu tritio­ nal factors, alcoholism, malabsorpti on, li ver cirrhosis, chronic renai di seases and other chronic debi­ Jitating disorders. In acute zinc defi ciency, th e skin eruption is vesico-bull ous or eczematous, whe­ reas in the chronic state parakeratotic psoriasiform lesions occur. Other signs in clude widespread asteatotic eczema, cheilitis, glossitis, stomatiti s, al opecia, nail anomali es, and are usually associated with extra-cutaneous manifestations. The recognition of the unde rl yin g zinc deficiency is of crucial valu e as zinc supplementati o n causes regression of symptoms. In some skin disorders, th e epidermal and/or serum concentrati ons of zinc were foun d to be decrea­ sed, but the actu al implicati ons of such abnormalities are stili unknown and controversia!, at least for some diseases. Some ev id ences seem to support the implicati on of zinc in wound healing, pre­ vention of UVA-induced apoptosis, sebum compositi o n and excretion . Some reports showed a po­ tential usefulness of oral zinc in skin diseases, such as acne vul garis, recalcitrant warts, leprosy, de­ cubital ulcers, amicrobial pustul osis, erosive pustulosis of the scalp, perifo lli culiti s capitis absce­ dens et suffodiens and necrolyti c aerai erythema.