Trace element levels in serum and gastric mucosa in patients with Helicobacter pylori positive and negative gastritis.

BACKGROUND: Most trace elements are inhibited by Helicobacter pylori-infection, and variations in specific element levels are linked to the development of stomach cancer. This is the first study to show the relationship between serum and tissue concentrations of twenty-five trace elements and H. pylori infection status. This study purposed to define serum and tissue trace element levels of 25 healthy individuals with Helicobacter pylori-positive gastritis and Helicobacter pylori-negative gastritis and to reveal their relationship with the disease. METHODS: Study groups consisted of sixty-two patients with Helicobacter pylori-positive, thirty-seven patients with Helicobacter pylori-negative, and thirty healthy individuals. Serum and tissue concentrations of twenty-five elements (aluminum, boron, arsenic, barium, calcium, beryllium, copper, cadmium, iron, chromium, mercury, lithium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, manganese, nickel, phosphorus, lead, scandium, strontium, selenium, tellurium, titanium, zinc) were defined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. RESULTS: Except for copper, lithium, and strontium elements in serum samples, other trace elements differed significantly between the groups (p < 0.05). The serum chromium (p = 0.002), mercury (p = 0.001), boron (p < 0.001), and cadmium (p < 0.001) levels of H. pylori-negative gastritis and H. pylori-positive gastritis participants were significantly different, and their serum concentrations were less than 0.5 µ/l. Boron, barium, beryllium, chromium, lithium, phosphorus and strontium elements in tissue samples did not differ significantly between the groups (p > 0.05). Manganese, nickel, tellurium and titanium elements were not detected in tissue and serum samples. The mean concentrations of calcium, beryllium, chromium, iron, potassium, lithium, magnesium, scandium, and selenium were higher in the tissues of patients with H. pylori gastritis compared to healthy control tissues. Also, cadmium could not be detected in tissue samples. There was a significant difference between H. pylori-infected tissue and serum chromium levels (p = 0.001), with lower levels detected in tissue samples. CONCLUSION: This is the first study that we are knowledgeable of that reports the concentrations of twenty five elements in both serum and tissue samples, as well as the relationship between trace elements and Helicobacter pylori-infection status. Dietary adjustment is indicated as an adjunct to medical therapy to stabilize trace elements because Helicobacter pylori bacteria cause inflammation and impair element absorption in gastritis patients. We also think that this study will shed light on studies on the relationship between Helicobacter pylori-trace elements and serum-tissue/healthy serum-tissue trace element levels of patients with Helicobacter pylori gastritis.

Serum trace element levels of gastrointestinal cancer patients in an endemic upper gastrointestinal cancer region.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are an important cause of the death rate in Turkey and in the world. Especially upper (esophageal and gastric) GI cancers are the leading types of cancer by 20-27% in Eastern Turkey. Trace elements are involved in many physiological and metabolic processes in the human body. Recent studies suggest that the increase or decrease of trace elements in the body may be related to the formation and development of many diseases such as cancers, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases etc. METHOD AND MATERIALS: In this study some trace elements; cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) concentrations were investigated in the blood serums of esophageal, gastric and colon cancer patients and healthy controls in Van city area, an endemic upper (esophageal and gastric) GI region of Eastern Turkey. The analysis of the elements was realized with a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS). RESULTS: Mean serum levels of Cd and Ni in esophageal and gastric cancer patients were very significantly lower compared to controls (p < 0.001 and < 0.005). In addition, the mean serum Co level of esophageal cancer patients was very significantly lower than in controls and gastric cancer patients (p < 0.002). Also, the mean serum levels of Fe and Mn in all (esophageal, gastric and colon) cancer groups were very significantly lower than in controls (p < 0.001 and 0.002). Mean serum levels of Cu, Mg, Pb and Zn were not significantly different in all cancer patients compared to controls. CONCLUSION: We have detected the deficiency of five trace elements (Fe, Mn, Cd, Ni, Co) in esophageal, gastric and colon cancer patients. The deficiencies of trace elements may be due to malign over consumption of the nutrients and to the malnutrition of the advanced cancer patients. Nutritional therapy rich in trace elements should be considered as one of the strategies to fight against cancers.

Heavy metals in soil, vegetables and fruits in the endemic upper gastrointestinal cancer region of Turkey.

The environmental exposure to heavy metals is a well-known risk factor for cancer. We investigated levels of seven different heavy metals, (Co, Cd, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni and Cu) in soil, fruit and vegetable samples of Van region in Eastern Turkey where upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are endemic. Heavy metal contents of the samples were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometer. Four heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu and Co) were present in 2- to 50-fold higher concentrations whereas zinc levels were present in 40-fold lower concentrations in soil. The fruit and vegetable samples were found to contain 3.5- to 340-fold higher amounts of the six heavy metals (Co, Cd, Pb, Mn, Ni and Cu) tested. The volcanic soil, fruit and vegetable samples contain potentially carcinogenic heavy metals in such a high levels that these elements could be related to the high prevalence of upper GI cancer rates in Van region.