Investigation of trace metals in the blood plasma and scalp hair of gastrointestinal cancer patients in comparison with controls.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer which is predominantly associated with the environmental factors. The carcinogenic processes are linked with the imbalances of trace metals in body fluid and tissues. METHODS: Trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) are estimated in blood plasma and scalp hair of the cancer patients and controls employing nitric acid-perchloric acid based wet-digestion followed by atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. RESULTS: The mean concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu and Ni were found to be significantly higher in the plasma of patients compared with the controls, however, appreciably higher concentrations of Fe and Zn were observed in the plasma of controls. The average scalp hair concentrations of Zn, Fe, Pb, Cu and Cd were notably higher in the patients than controls. The correlation study revealed significantly different mutual variations of the trace metals in the plasma and scalp hair of the patients and controls. The apportionment of trace metals in the plasma and scalp hair of the patients and controls was also considerably different. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that the carcinogenic processes are significantly affecting the trace metal burden and mutual variations in the cancerous patients compared with the controls.

Comparison of trace elements in the scalp hair of malignant and benign breast lesions versus healthy women.

Trace elements including Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, and Zn were analyzed in the scalp hair samples of women with malignant breast lesions, women with benign breast lesions, and healthy donors using atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. In the scalp hair of malignant-tumor patients, the highest average concentration was shown by Ca (1,187 microg/g), followed by Na (655 microg/g), Mg (478 microg/g), Zn (391 microg/g), Sr (152 microg/g), Fe (114 microg/g), and K (89.8), while in the case of benign-tumor patients, the average estimated element levels were 1,522, 1,093, 572, 457, 217, 80.4, and 74.7 microg/g, respectively. Most of the elements exhibited non-normal distribution evidenced by large spread, standard error, and skewness values. Mean concentrations of Ca (634 microg/g), Zn (206 microg/g), Mg (162 microg/g), Fe (129 microg/g), and Na (82.1 microg/g) were noteworthy in the scalp hair of healthy women. Average levels of Na, Sr, K, Cd, Co, Pb, Mg, Ca, Zn, Ni, Sb, and Mn were revealed to be significantly higher in the hair of malignant and benign patients compared to the healthy women; however, Fe, Cu, Al, and Cr were not significantly different in the scalp hair of the three groups. The quartile distributions of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Sr revealed maximum spread in the scalp hair of malignant and benign groups; nevertheless, Al, Cu, Fe, and Zn exhibited almost comparable quartile levels in the three groups. Strong correlation coefficients were found between Fe and Cd, Al and Na, Mn and Sr, Co and Cr, Cd and Cr, Pb and K, Pb and Mn, Cu and Na, and Al and Fe in the scalp hair of malignant-tumor patients, while Fe and K, Cd and Co, Na and Co, and Cr and Pb showed strong correlations in the scalp hair of benign-tumor patients, both of which were significantly different compared with the healthy subjects. Multivariate cluster analysis also revealed divergent clustering of the elements in the scalp hair of malignant and benign patients in comparison with the healthy women.

Comparative evaluation of trace metal distribution and correlation in human malignant and benign breast tissues.

Selected trace metals were analyzed in human malignant and nonmalignant (benign) breast tissue samples by the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. In malignant tissues, dominant mean concentrations were revealed by Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Al at 927, 552, 231, 61.7, 36.5, 18.3, and 8.94 microg/g, respectively, while the mean metal levels in benign tissues were 903, 435, 183, 63.3, 24.7, 14.5, and 10.1 microg/g, respectively. Average concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, K, Ca, and Zn were noted to be significantly higher in the malignant tissues compared with the benign tissues. Significantly strong correlations (r > 0.50) in malignant tissues were observed between Mn and Co, Mn and Cd, Cd and Cr, Fe and Mn, Cd and Co, Fe and Co, Mg and Pb, Cd and Fe, Mg and Ni, Pb and Ni, Ni and Sr, and Fe and Pb, whereas, Cd and Co, Cd and Mn, Co and Mg, Co and Mn, Cu and Mn, Co and Ni, Mg and Ni, Cd and Cu, Cd and Ni, Ca and Mg, Mn and Pb, Cu and Ni, Fe and Ni, Cd and Mg, Co and Cu, Cr and Na, and Cd and Cr revealed strong and significant relationships in benign tissues at p < 0.001. Principal component analysis of the metals data yielded six principal components for malignant tissues and five principal components for benign tissues, with considerably different loadings, duly supported by cluster analysis. The study revealed a considerably different pattern of distribution and mutual correlations of trace metals in the breast tissues of benign and cancerous patients.

Statistical analysis of trace metals in the plasma of cancer patients versus controls.

The plasma of cancer patients (n=112) and controls (n=118) were analysed for selected trace metals (Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr and Zn) by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. In the plasma of cancer patients, mean concentrations of macronutrients/essential metals, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe and Zn were 3971, 178, 44.1, 7.59, 4.38 and 3.90 ppm, respectively, while the mean metal levels in the plasma of controls were 3844, 151, 74.2, 18.0, 6.60 and 2.50 ppm, respectively. Average concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr and Zn were noted to be significantly higher in the plasma of cancer patients compared with controls. Very strong mutual correlations (r>0.70) in the plasma of cancer patients were observed between Fe-Mn, Ca-Mn, Ca-Ni, Ca-Co, Cd-Pb, Co-Ni, Mn-Ni, Mn-Zn, Cr-Li, Ca-Zn and Fe-Ni, whereas, Ca-Mn, Ca-Mg, Fe-Zn, Ca-Zn, Mg-Mn, Mg-Zn, Cd-Sb, Cd-Co, Cd-Zn, Co-Sb and Sb-Zn exhibited strong relationships (r>0.50) in the plasma of controls, all were significant at p<0.01. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the data extracted five PCs, both for cancer patients and controls, but with considerably different loadings. The average metals levels in male and female donors of the two groups were also evaluated and in addition, the general role of trace metals in the carcinogenesis was discussed. The study indicated appreciably different pattern of metal distribution and mutual relationships in the plasma of cancer patients in comparison with controls.

Characterization and distribution of the selected metals in the scalp hair of cancer patients in comparison with normal donors.

Eighteen metals were estimated in the scalp hair samples from cancer patients (n = 111) and normal donors (n = 113). Nitric acid-perchloric acid wet digestion procedure was used for the quantification of the selected metals by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In the scalp hair of cancer patients, highest average levels were found for Ca (861 microg/g), followed by Na (672 microg/g), Zn (411 microg/g), Mg (348 microg/g), Fe (154 microg/g), Sr (129 microg/g), and K (116 microg/g), whereas in comparison, the dominant metals in the scalp hair of normal donors were Ca (568 microg/g), Zn (177 microg/g), Mg (154 micraog/g), Fe (110 microg/g), and Na (103 microg/g). The concentrations of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, and Zn were notably higher in the hair of cancer patients as compared with normal donors, which may lead to a number of physiological disorders. Strong positive correlations were found in Mn-Pb (0.83), Cd-Cr (0.82), Cd-Li (0.57), Fe-Pb (0.56), and Fe-Mn (0.55) in the hair of cancer patients whereas Na-Cd, Li-Cr, Li-Co, Co-Cd, Li-Cd, Na-Co, Na-Li, Ca-Mg and Na-Cr exhibited strong relationships (r > 0.50) in the hair of normal donors. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the data revealed seven PCs, both for cancer patients and normal donors, but with significantly different loadings. Cluster Analysis (CA) was also used to support the PCA results. The study evidenced significantly different pattern of metal distribution in the hair of cancer patients in comparison with normal donors. The role of trace metals in carcinogenesis was also discussed.