Role of Copper, Magnesium, and Zinc in Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cirrhosis Attia Afaf M.1, Attalla Sohayla M.2,6,*, Barakat Enase A.M.E3, Zaki Maysaa El Sayed4, Elkhouly Nashwa Y.5,6 1Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt 2Department of Forensic Medicine, International Medical School (IMS), Management and Science University (MSU), Malaysia 3Departments of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Mansoura University, Egypt 4Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt 5Departments of Internal Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Egypt 6Taibah University, KSA *Corresponding author: Dr. Sohayla M. Attalla, Professor of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt. & Head of Forensic Medicine Unit, International Medical School (IMS), Management and Science University (MSU), Malaysia. E-mail: dr_sohayla@hotmail.com
Online published on 17 July, 2019. Abstract The present study aimed to estimate the level of copper, magnesium and zinc in patients of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to determine their correlation to pathogenesis of these diseases. A case-control study was conducted on thirty subjects that were included as control (group) I obtained from blood transfusion donors healthy subjects. All patients whose coming to the specialized medical hospital Mansoura University from January 2016 till January 2017 were clinically evaluated and investigated to select 70 subjects; twenty-five patients with cirrhosis (group II), and forty-five patients with HCC (group III). The levels of copper, magnesium and zinc were assessed in all participants. Copper level showed significantly increased values while magnesium and zinc were significantly decreased comparing to control group in both cirrhosis and HCC groups. There were significant increase in zinc level and significant decrease in magnesium and copper levels in comparison to HCC and cirrhotic groups. Also, a significant negative correlation between zinc and magnesium levels and the advances in liver condition, advances in spleen condition and presence of ascites was observed, while there is non-significant negative correlation between Child-Pugh classification and the levels of zinc and magnesium in cirrhosis and HCC groups. There was a significant positive correlation between the copper level and the advances in liver condition, advances in spleen condition presence of ascites and Child-Pugh classification. In conclusion, there is association between copper, magnesium and zinc and the severity of the cirrhosis and HCC. Top Keywords Trace elements, HCC, Cirrhosis, Copper, Zinc, Magnesium. Top |