Abstract
The levels of seven trace elements such as copper, iron, zinc, selenium, cadmium, chromium, and nickel were determined by graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometry in the cervical mucus of 45 women residing in Taiwan, Republic of China. These women were in good health and had no precancerous or cancerous lesions on their cervix.
The women were separated into four age groups to establish if there was a relationship between the age of the subjects and the values of these elements in the cervical mucus. By one-way analysis of variance, significant differences in the selenium and nickel concentrations were found among the four age groups (p<0.05). The mean concentration of selenium in each age group was significantly higher for the older women. A significant correlation between age and selenium concentration was found by linear regression (r=0.23, p=0.00048). No significant differences among the concentrations of copper, iron, zinc, cadmium, and chromium were found among these four age groups (p>0.05).
The results presented in this work may be considered as baseline values for these elements in the cervical mucus of healthy Taiwanese women for use as reference in studies on cervical diseases and tissue damage.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
L. Blasco, Cervical factor, in Current Therapy of Infertility 1984–1985, 3rd ed., C.-R. Garcia, L. Mastroianni, R. D. Amelar, and L. Dubin, eds., B. C. Decker Inc., Philadelphia, pp. 100–106 (1984).
L. Y. Danial, Selenium metabolism and bioavailability, Biol. Trace Element Res. 54, 185–199 (1996).
P. E. Johnson, D. B. Milne, and G. L. Lykken, Effects of age and sex on copper absrption, biological half-life and status in humans, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 56, 917–925 (1992).
R. A. Disilvestro and G. P. Carlson, Effects of moderate copper deficiency on carbontetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 197, 32–35 (1991).
N. W. Solomons, Zinc and copper, in Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 8th ed., M. E. Shils and V. R. Young, eds., Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, pp. 238–262 (1988).
Z. G. Jia, Analysis of serum levels of selenium, zinc, and copper in 132 patients with malignant tumors, Chin. J. Prevent. Med. 25, 205–207 (1991).
E. L. Ma and Z. M. Jiang, Ion-exchange chromatography in simultaneous determination of serum copper and zinc levels in patients with cancer digestive tract, Chinese Med. J. 106, 118–121 (1993).
D. J. Malvy, B. Burtschy, J. Arnaud, D. Sommelet, G. Leverger, L. Dostalova, et al., Serum beta-carotene and antioxidant micronutrients, in children with cancer, “Cancer in children and antioxidant micronutrients,” The French Study Group, Inst. J. Epidemiol. 22, 761–771 (1993).
K. Overvad, D. Y. Wang, J. Olsen, D. S. Allen, E. B. Thorling, and R. D. Bulbrook, Copper/zinc ratio in selected human mammary carcinogenesis: a case-cohort study, Am. J. Epidemiol. 137, 409–414 (1993).
D. Yoshida, Y. Ikeda, and S. Nakazawa, Quantitative analysis of copper, zinc and copper/zinc ratio in selected human brain tumors, J. Neurol. Oncol. 16, 109–115 (1993).
I. Yuel, F. Arpaci, A. Ozet, B. Doner, T. Jarayilanoglu, A. Sayar, et al., Serum copper and zinc levels and copper/zinc ratio in patients with breast cancer, Biol. Trace Element Res. 40, 31–38 (1994).
K. N. Jeejeebhoy, R. C. Chu, E. B. Marliss, G. R. Greenberg, and A. Bruce-Robertson, Chromium deficiency, glucose intolerance, and neuropathy reversed by chromium supplementation, in a patient receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 30, 531–538 (1977).
M. Vandi, Cadmium content in cigarettes, Lancet 7634, 132 (1969).
A. D. Chiquoine and V. Suntzeff, Sensitivity of mammals to cadmium necrosis in the testis, J. Rep. Fertil. 10, 455–460 (1965).
S. Saito, I. M. Bush, and W. F. Whitemore, Effects of certain metals and cheiating agents on rat and dog epididymal spermatozoan motility, Fertil. Steril. 18, 517–529 (1967).
G. K. Oster, Reaction of metallic copper with biological substrates, Nature 134, 153–154 (1971).
K. Loewit, Immobilization of human spermatozoa with iron. Basis for a new contraceptive, Contraception 2, 219–224 (1971).
J. Zipper, H. Tatum, L. Pastene, M. Medel, and M. Rivera, Metallic copper as an intrauterine contraceptive adjunt to the “T” device, Am. J. Obestet. Gynec. 105, 1274–1278 (1969).
K. N. von Kaulla, J. K. Aikawa, P. D. Bruns, and W. T. Wikle, Secretory function of the human uterine cervix, Fertil. Steril. 8, 444–454 (1957).
I. L. Mulay, R. Ray, B. E. Knox, N. H. Suhr, and W. E. Dalaney, Trace-metal analysis of cancerous and noncancerous human tissues, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 47, 1–13 (1971).
A. E. Schwartz, G. W. Leddicotte, R. W. Fink, and E. W. Friedman, Trace elements in noraml and malignant human breast tissue, Sugery 76, 325–329 (1974).
P. M. Santoliquido, H. W. Southwick, and J. H. Oliwin, Trace metal levels in cancer of the breast, Surg. Gynecol. Obstet. 142, 65–70 (1976).
S. L. Rizk and H. H. Sky-Pack, Comparison between concentrations of trace elements in normal and neoplastic human breast tissue, Cancer Res. 44, 5390–5394 (1984).
L. N. Vernie, J. J. Goeij, C. Zegers, M. Vries, G. S. Baldew, and J. G. McVie, Cisplatin-induced changes of selenium levels and glutathione peroxidase activities in blood of testis tumor patients, Cancer Lett. 40, 83–91 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chuang, IC., Lee, PN., Lin, TH. et al. Determination of some elements in the cervical mucus of healthy taiwanese women, by GF-AAS. Biol Trace Elem Res 86, 137–143 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:86:2:137
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:86:2:137