title: Serum copper levels in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) cancer.
abstract: Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is very commonly encountered in Kashmir Valley of India. Serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels were investigated in 75 patients with GIT cancer, 42 non-GIT cancer and 75 normal healthy controls. The mean serum copper in the control group was 1,078 (S.D. 0,296) mg/L, while in patients with GIT and non-GIT cancers, it was 1,738 (S.D. 0,675) and 1,449 (S.D. 0,501) mg/L. Copper in both types of cancers showed significant increase (p less than 0.001). It was significantly higher in GIT cancers (p less than 0.01) as compared to non-GIT cancers. Ceruloplasmin in controls was 379 (S.D. 51) mg/L, while in GIT and non-GIT cancer patients the values were 363 (S.D. 75) and 364 (S.D. 77) mg/L, respectively. No significant difference could be found in either of the groups. In Kashmir Valley, the copper content in body tissues is likely to be on the high side because copper utensils are widely used by the general population. Water and milk samples stored in copper vessels and salt tea prepared in copper vessels showed markedly high levels of copper.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, India.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Narang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sanyal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D013662:Tea; D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin