Table 3.
Paneth cell granule depletion in relation to HIV and in relation to plasma zinc concentration
| Granule depletion | None | Mild | Severe | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIV | ||||
| Infected | 17 | 16 | 6 | 0·008 |
| Uninfected | 42 | 20 | 1 | |
| Zinc | ||||
| Low | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0·018 |
| Normal | 32 | 3 | 3 | |
The severity of granule depletion in relation separately to two potential determinants: HIV infection (total number analysed = 102) and plasma zinc (n = 46). In multivariate analysis, the association between low plasma zinc concentration and granule depletion remained after taking HIV infection into account. Stratification by zinc abolished the association between granule depletion and HIV. P-values derived using Fisher's exact test.