Serum Chromium Levels
- Jacques Versieck, MD;
- Julien De Rudder, T;
- Fabrice Barbier, MD
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
To the Editor.— We refer to the report "Chromium Deficiency During Total Parenteral Nutrition" by Freund et al (241:496, 1979). Certainly, the dramatic response to chromium supplementation strongly suggests that the severe glucose intolerance, weight loss, and metabolic encephalopathy-like confusional state that developed in a patient after complete bowel resection and five months' parenteral nutrition was due to chromium deficiency. However, we disagree with the authors when they state that definitive evidence was obtained by measuring the serum chromium level, which was 0.5 μg/dL, the normal values being 0.5 to 9.0 μg/dL.
For years, controversy has existed about the serum chromium concentration in normal persons. Reported mean values vary from 0.073 μg/dL (range, 0.023 to 0.190 μg/dL)1 to 15 μg/dL (range, 4.1 to 25.1 μg/dL).2 In 20 normal persons we found a mean value of 0.016 μg/dL, with an SD of 0.0083 μg/dL, and a range of 0.00382
