Test Directory

Monitor exposure to zinc; evaluate suspected nutritional inadequacy (especially in enteral or parental nutrition, critically ill or burn patients); cases of diabetes or delayed wound healing; growth retardation; follow therapy (for example, when higher intravenous zinc doses are used to balance excessive ongoing GI losses in long-term total parenteral nutrition); follow oral zinc therapy in Wilson's disease; confirm acrodermatitis enteropathica and follow therapy.

Preferred Specimen Type: Plasma

Alternate Specimen Type: Serum

Preferred Collection Container: Royal Blue Top (EDTA) 

Alternate Collection Container: Royal Blue Top (No Additive)

Desired Specimen Volume: 1 mL

1. Collect specimen in royal blue (EDTA) tube or royal blue (no additive) tube via venipuncture.

1. Separate plasma or serum from cells within 45 minutes of collection.
2. Transfer 1 mL of plasma or serum to a certified metal-free transport tube.

Transport to the laboratory refrigerated. 

• Certified metal-free plastic transport tube not submitted
• Unspun royal blue-top tube from which the plasma or serum has not been removed
• Gel-barrier tube

See patient report.

Levels may be low in fever, sepsis, estrogen therapy, stress, or myocardial infarction, reflecting mobilization from serum to the liver by interleukin. Levels are usually low in uremia with normal tissue levels. Levels may be high in familial hyperzincemia without toxicity or high zinc stores.

Chronic oral zinc supplementation interferes with copper absorption and may precipitate copper deficiency. Albumin is the primary zinc binding protein: zinc levels should be interpreted with awareness of serum albumin level.