Kuo Hsien Wen, Chen Su Fan, Wu Chin Ching, Chen Dar Ren, Lee Jau Hung
Institute of Environmental Health, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2002 Oct;89(1):1-11. doi: 10.1385/BTER:89:1:1.
The objective of this study was to compare levels of four elements (zinc, copper, selenium, and iron) in the serum and tissue of 68 breast tumor patients (benign and malignant), from a teaching hospital in central Taiwan. Samples of normal tissue (5 cm away from tumor) were also taken from patients with malignant tumors. Only serum was taken from the 25 healthy persons in the control group. Results showed that Zn, Cu, Se, Fe, Cu/Zn, Cu/Se, and Cu/Fe were present in different amounts in the serum of each of the three groups. Zn and Se levels were lower in the serum of the two tumor groups compared to the control group. In tissue samples, Zn, Cu, Se, and Fe concentrations were different in each of the three groups. The malignant tissue had the highest levels of all four elements. In advanced-stage malignant tumors, levels of Cu and the ratios of Cu/Fe and Cu/Zn (in both serum and tissue) were highest. The ratios of serum Cu/Zn, Cu/Fe, and Cu/Se were also higher in malignant patients. The cutoff value of serum Cu/Zn was 1.2 (sensitivity and specificity were both 100%). The Cu/Zn ratio was highest in the advanced stages of cancer and was a better diagnostic tool for breast cancer than Cu/Se and Cu/Fe. The authors suggest that change of trace elements in serum and tissue might be useful and significant as biomarkers involving the initial plastic process.
本研究的目的是比较台湾中部一家教学医院68例乳腺肿瘤患者（良性和恶性）血清和组织中四种元素（锌、铜、硒和铁）的水平。还从恶性肿瘤患者身上采集了距肿瘤5厘米处的正常组织样本。对照组的25名健康人仅采集了血清。结果显示，三组人群血清中的锌、铜、硒、铁、铜/锌、铜/硒和铜/铁含量各不相同。与对照组相比，两个肿瘤组血清中的锌和硒水平较低。在组织样本中，三组中锌、铜、硒和铁的浓度各不相同。恶性组织中这四种元素的含量最高。在晚期恶性肿瘤中，铜的水平以及血清和组织中铜/铁与铜/锌的比值最高。恶性患者血清中铜/锌、铜/铁和铜/硒的比值也较高。血清铜/锌的临界值为1.2（灵敏度和特异性均为100%）。铜/锌比值在癌症晚期最高，是比铜/硒和铜/铁更好的乳腺癌诊断工具。作者认为，血清和组织中微量元素的变化作为涉及初始塑形过程的生物标志物可能是有用且有意义的。
