Differential effect of surgical injury and thermal burn on zinc metabolism in man.

Serum, erythrocyte and urinary zinc were serially measured during the early ten days following major surgery or thermal burns in 18 and 8 patients, respectively. Serum zinc gradually decreased and erythrocyte and urinary zinc increased during the first three postoperative or post-burn days. Thereafter, both serum and erythrocyte zinc gradually returned to preoperative levels in the patients subjected to surgery, while serum zinc continued to fall progressively despite a rapid restoration of erythrocyte zinc to control values, in the burned patients.

Smoking and hepatitis B-negative primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Smoking histories were obtained from 79 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) (of whom 40 were negative and 39 positive for serum hepatitis B surface antigen), 39 patients with liver cancer not primary in the liver (LCNP), and 204 hospitalized controls. All subjects were Caucasians of Greek nationality and residence. No significant difference in smoking habits was found between controls and either PHC patients positive for serum hepatitis B surface antigen or LCNP patients.