ABSTRACT
This study aimed to establish reference ranges of serum concentrations of copper, zinc, retinol, alpha-tocopherol, copper: caeruloplasmin and copper: zinc ratios in a group of healthy Omani men and women. Assay techniques employed were atomic absorption spectrophotometry [copper and zinc], reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography with isocratic elution [retinol and alpha-tocopherol], immunonephelometry [caeruloplasmin] and spectrophotometry [albumin and cholesterol]. The mean +/- SD [microM] obtained for copper, zinc, retinol, and alpha-tocopherol were 15.9 +/- 3.0, 14.2 +/- 2.0, 1.45 +/- 0.39 and 16.9 +/- 4.4, respectively. The mean +/- SD for copper: zinc and copper: caeruloplasmin ratios were 1.15 +/- 0.30 micromol/mmol and 6.99 +/- 0.84 micromol/g, respectively. Significantly higher [p < 0.0001] copper and caeruloplasmin concentrations, copper: zinc and copper: caeruloplasmin ratios and lower zinc, retinol, alpha-tocopherol, cholesterol concentrations and alpha-tocopherol: cholesterol ratio were present in women compared to men. Age appeared to be associated with copper and retinol concentrations, and copper: caeruloplasmin ratios in women; in men, the association was mostly moderate with caeruloplasmin, alpha-tocopherol, cholesterol concentrations and alpha-tocopherol: cholesterol ratios. Smokers had decreased albumin [p = 0.002], zinc [p = 0.023] concentrations, and copper: caeruloplasmin ratios [p = 0.002], increased alpha-tocopherol concentrations [p = 0.016] and alpha-tocopherol: cholesterol ratios [p = 0.021] compared with non-smokers. Deficiency incidence was