[Lack of effect of oral zinc sulfate on wound healing in leg ulcer].

The effect of oral zinc on the healing of chronic venous leg ulcers has been investigated in 91 hospitalized patients aged approximately 70 years. The patients were divided into three groups: group A consisted of patients with serum zinc concentrations in the upper normal range (Zn greater than or equal to 1.0 mg/l) who received no zinc therapy. Groups B and C consisted of patients with serum zinc concentrations in the lower normal range (Zn less than 1.0 mg/l) who received either 3 daily doses of 220 mg zinc sulphate (group B) or placebo (group C). In group B, a marked increase in serum zinc concentration occured within one month (from 0.9 to 1.25 mg/L). In group A, serum zinc levels decreased slightly during the observation period of three months (from 1.1 to 1.0 mg/l) while a slight rise was seen in group C (from 0.9 to 1.0 mg/l). The healing rate of the ulcers in group A was not superior to that in group C. Zinc substitution in the low zinc group B did not improve healing as compared to placebo-treated low zinc group C. A favourable effect of oral zinc on wound healing in patients with initially low serum zinc concentrations could not be demonstrated. Initial ulcer areas were significantly smaller in patients with higher serum zinc levels than in patients with lower serum zinc levels. Low serum zinc levels appear to be a consequence of insufficient nutrition, an observation which may indicate a correlation between nutritional deficiency and ulcer area. The healing rate did not depend significantly upon age, sex, weight or cause. It was, however, accelerated in the case of larger ulcers.