Ann Digest Liver Dis | Volume 1, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
Mohamed A Mekky1*, Ahmad FA Hasanain1, Marwa Abdel-Naiem2, Heba H Orabi1 and Ashraf M Osman1
1Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology, Assiut University Hospital, Egypt
2Department of Biochemistry, Assiut University, Egypt
*Correspondance to: Mohamed A Mekky
Fulltext PDFBackground: Our research hypothesis is that copper, zinc, and selenium may have a potential role in the development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). We carried out this study to determine the serum levels of copper, zinc, and selenium among patients with HCC compared to the normal subjects, and to explore the contribution of their serum levels to the development of both HCC and late HCC. Patients and
Methods: A case-control study including 91 patients with HCC and 92 normal subjects was carried out. All the study population were provided clinical evaluation, imaging studies (including triphasic abdominal computed tomography), and laboratory investigations (including estimation of the serum levels of copper, zinc, and selenium).
Results: Both groups were matching. All patients with HCC had evidence of liver cirrhosis. Serum levels of zinc (76 ± 20 mcg/dL vs 139 ± 36, p 0.022) and selenium (50.6 ± 6.97 mcg/dL vs 93 ± 5.7 mcg/dL, p 0.037) were significantly lower among patients with HCC compared to normal subjects, respectively. Serum levels of copper were higher among patients with HCC compared to the normal subjects; however, this was not statistically significant. When comparing patients with late HCC to those with early HCC, serum levels of zinc were significantly lower among patients with late HCC (51.84 ± 19.2 mcg/dL vs 103.58 ± 24.1 mcg/dL, p 0.016). Conclusions: Lower serum levels of zinc and selenium can be associated with a higher risk of HCC development. In addition, high serum levels of copper may be associated with a higher stage of HCC. Further evaluation for the biologic role of these trace elements in the development of HCC is warranted.
Mekky MA, Hasanain AFA, Abdel-Naiem M, Orabi HH, Osman AM. Trace Elements Status among Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case-Control Study. Ann Digest Liver Dis. 2018; 1(1): 1004.