Abstract
The prospective randomized trial was used to determine Se, Zn, and Cu concentrations in intestinal cancer tissue and colorectal polyp. We also determined the relationship among the trace element levels in cancer tissue, the localization of neoplasms, and the stage of their development. The concentrations of these trace elements were examined in cancer tissue of the colorectum in 67 patients and in the colon and rectum polyps in 42 patients using the total-reflection X-ray fluorescence (TRXRF) method. The mean concentration of Se in colorectal cancer was 0.86 µg/g tissue and was statistically higher than in the case of polyps (0.57 µg/g). The mean concentration of Zn in colorectal cancer was higher than in the polyp (14.8 µg/g and 9.84 µg/g, respectively). The determined average concentration of Cu in colorectal cancer was 3.87 µg/g tissue and was a little lower than the level of this metal in the polyp (3.94 µg/g). There was no difference in the levels of these trace elements depending on the location of the neoplasm and the stage of its development. Also, there was no difference between the concentrations of these trace elements in the cancer tissue of malignant and benign tumors after taking into consideration the sex and age of patients. During the examination, we determined significantly higher concentrations of only selenium and zinc in the cancer tissue and not in the polyp. The level of copper was lower in a malignant tumor than in a benign one.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J. D. Potter, Colorectal cancer: molecules and populations, J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 91, 916–32 (1999).
C. Yeu-Tsu and M. Lee, Carcinoma of the colon and rectum: distribution of metastatic sites, risk factors and autopsy studies, GI Cancer, 2, 255–266 (1998).
K. Overvad, Selenium and cancer, in Role of Trace Elements for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, B. Sandström and P. Walter, eds., Bibl Nutr Dieta, Karger, Basel, vol. 54, pp. 141–149 (1998).
L. Flohe, J. R. Andreesen, R. Brigelius-Flohe, et al., Selenium, the element of the Moon, in life on earth, Life 49, 411–420 (2000).
J. Köhrle, R. Brigelius-Flohe, A. Böck, et al., Selenium in biology: facts and medical perspectives, Biol. Chem. 381, 849–864 (2000).
M. P. Rayman, The importance of selenium to human health, Lancet 356, 233–241 (2000).
M. Sanz Alaejos, F. Diaz Romero, and C. Diaz Romero, Selenium and cancer: some nutritional aspects, Nutrition 16, 376–383 (2000).
M. Vinceti, S. Rovest M. Bergomi, et al., The epidemiology of selenium and human cancer, Tumori 86, 105–118 (2000).
D. Psathakis, N. Wedemeyer, E. Oevermann, et al., Blood selenium and glutathione peroxidase status in patients with colorectal cancer, Dis Colon Rectum 41, 328–335 (1998).
Z. Pawlowicz, B. A. Zachara, U. Trafikowska, et al., Blood selenium concentrations and glutathione peroxidase activities in patients with breast cancer and with advanced gastrointestinal cancer, J. Trace Elements Electolytes Health Dis. 5, 275–277 (1991).
M. Kogata, M. Kobayashi, M. Yananura, et al., Selenium levels in malignant and normal tissues of gastroinestinal cancer patients, J. Clin. Biochem. Nutr. 5, 93–101 (1988).
B. M. Dworkin, W. S. Rosenthal, A. Mittelman, et al., Selenium status and the polypcancer sequence: a colonoscopically controlled study, Am. J. Gastroenterol 83, 748–751 (1988).
M. F. Robinson, P. J. Godfrey, C. D. Thomson, et al., Blood selenium and gluthatione peroxidase activity in normal subjects and in surgical patients with and without cancer in New Zealand, Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 32, 1477–1485 (1979).
G. Hocman, Chemoprevention of cancer: selenium, Int. J. Biochem. 20, 123–133 (1988).
G. F. Combs and W. P. Gray, Chemopreventive agents: selenium, Pharmacol. Ther. 79, 179–192 (1998).
R. A. Sunde and W. G. Hoekstra, Structure, synthesis and function of gluthatione peroxidase, Nutr. Res. 8, 265–273 (1980).
T.P.J. Mulder, H. W. Verspaget, A. R. Janssens, et al., Decrease in two intestinal copper/zinc containing protein with antioxidant function in inflammatory bowel disease, Gut, 32, 1146–1150 (1991).
I. Yücel, F. Arpaci, A. Özet, et al., Serum copper and zinc levels and copper/zinc ration in patients with breast cancer, Biol. Trace Element Res. 40, 31–38 (1994).
M. D. Chen, Y. M. Song, C. T. Tsou, et al., Leptin concentration and the Zn/Cu ration in plasma in women with thyroid disorder, Biol. Trace Element Res. 75, 99–105 (2000).
F. Cavallo, M. Gerber, and E. Marrubini, Zinc and copper in breast cancer, Cancer, 67, 738–745 (1991).
G. Saner, S. V. Baysal, E. Ünüvar, et al., Serum zinc, copper levels and copper/zinc ratios in infants with sepsis syndrome, J. Trace Elements Exp. Med. 13, 265–270 (2000).
J. Kadrabova, A. Madaric, F. Podvinsky, et al., Plasma zinc, copper and copper/zinc ratio in intrinsic asthma, J. Trace Elements Med. Biol. 10, 50–53 (1996).
U. Majewska, J. Braziewicz, D. Banaś, et al., An elemental correlation study in cancerous breast tissue by total reflection X-ray fluorescence, Biol. Trace Element Res. 60, 91–100 (1997).
U. Majewska, D. Banaś, J. Braziewicz, et al., Total reflection X-ray fluorescence: a new tool for trace elements detection for medical application, Pol. J. Med. Phys. Eng. 1, 35–46 (1995).
U. Majewska, J. Braziewicz, D. Banaś, et al., Some aspects of statistical distribution of trace element concentrations in biomedical samples, Nucl. Instrum. Methods B 150, 254–259 (1999).
L. C. Clark, G. F. Combs, Jr., and L. J. Hixson, Low plasma selenium predicts the prevalence of colorectal adenomatous polyps in a cancer prevention trial, Gastroenterology 104, A393 (1993) (abstract).
M. Mikac-Devic, N. Vukelic, and K. Kljaic, Serum selenium level in patients with colorectal cancer, Biol. Trace Element Res. 33, 87–94 (1992).
J. L. Nano, D. Czerucka, F. Menguy, et al., Effect of selenium on grwoth of three human colon cancer cell lines, Biol. Trace Element Res. 20, 31–43 (1989).
B. E. Sandström and S. Marklund, Effects of variation in glutathione peroxidase activity on DNA damage and cell survival in human cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide and t-butyl hydroperoxide, Biochem. J. 271, 17–23 (1990).
B. S. Reddy, A. Riverson, N. Kulkarni, et al., Chemoprevention of colon carcinogenesis by the synthetic organoselenium compound 1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)selenocyanate, Cancer Res. 52, 5635–5640 (1992).
B. Bjerre, H. von Schenck, and B. Sörbo, Hyposelenaemia: patients with gastrointestinal disease are at risk, J. Intern. Med. 225, 85–88 (1989).
L. Pothier, W. W. Lane, A. Bhargava, et al., Plasma selenium levels in patients with advanced upper gastrointestinal cancer, Cancer 60, 2251–2260 (1987).
C. E. Welch, Polyps, and cancer of the colon, Am. J. Surg. 5, 625–626 (1979).
B. M. Dworkin and S. J. Winawer, Neoplastic colonic polyps: a review, Current Concepts, Gastroenetrology 10, 3–9 (1985).
A. N. Garg, V. Singh, R. G. Weginwar, et al., An elemental correlation study in cancerous and normal breast tissue with successive clinical stages by neutron activation analysis, Biol. Trace Element Res. 46, 185–201 (1994).
K. H. Ng, D. A. Bradley, L. M. Looi, et al., Differentiation of elemental composition of normal and malignant breast tissue by instrumental neutron activation analysis, Appl. Radiat. Isot. 44, 511–516 (1993).
A. Zoboli, A case-control study on selenium, zinc and copper in plasma and hair of subjects affected by breast and lung cancer, Biol. Trace Element Res. 51, 23–30 (1996).
G. N. Schrauzer, Anticarcinogenesis effects of selenium, Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 57, 1864–1873 (2000).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kucharzewski, M., Braziewicz, J., Majewska, U. et al. Selenium, copper, and zinc concentrations in intestinal cancer tissue and in colon and rectum polyps. Biol Trace Elem Res 92, 1–10 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:92:1:1
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:92:1:1