Copper and zinc concentrations of abdominal aorta and liver in patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm or aortoiliacal occlusive disease.

It has been suggested that low copper concentrations in tissues could be a risk factor in the development of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). To further elucidate this argument, liver and abdominal aortic specimens were obtained from 19 patients with an AAA and 26 patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) during an operation. After tissue breakdown and liquefaction, the samples were tested for copper and zinc with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean aortic copper level was 3.8 (microgram/g dry weight) in the AAA-group and 3.2 in the AIOD-group. The liver copper values were 27.7 and 25.9 respectively. The zinc concentrations in AAA- and AIOD-groups were 61.1 (microgram/g dry weight) and 62.8 for the aortas and 207.9 and 191.7 for liver specimens, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the copper and zinc concentrations found in the aorta or liver specimens. On the basis of our findings, it seems unlikely that copper and zinc in the aortic wall or in the liver would play an important role in the pathogenesis of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms.