title: Copper/zinc ratio and systemic oxidant load: effect of aging and aging-related degenerative diseases.
abstract: There is evidence that copper and zinc have pro-oxidant and antioxidant properties, respectively, so that their imbalance may be expected to condition oxidative stress status. Oxidative stress is relevant in aging and in age-related degenerative diseases. In this study, blood content of copper, zinc, and ceruloplasmin as well as of lipid peroxides were investigated in 81 healthy and 62 disabled octo-nonagenarians affected by chronic degenerative diseases, and in 81 healthy adults. Serum copper/zinc ratio and ceruloplasmin were significantly higher in the elderly than in the healthy adults. Moreover, all these parameters were significantly higher in the disabled than in the healthy elderly. Notably, the increased copper/zinc ratio found in healthy elderly was due to high copper values, whereas in the disabled, both high copper and low serum zinc concentrations were present. The copper/zinc ratio was significantly and positively related to systemic oxidative stress status in all groups. The higher the serum copper/zinc ratio the higher the lipid peroxides plasma content. We conclude that there is a strict relationship between copper/zinc ratio and systemic oxidant burden. Moreover, advanced age and, particularly, advanced age-related chronic degenerative diseases are associated with a significant increase in the copper/zinc ratio and systemic oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Centro per lo Studio dell'Ipertensione Arterosa delle Dislipidemie e dell'Arteriosclerosi, University Gabriele D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy. mezzetti@unich.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mezzetti
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Pierdomenico
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Cesare
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuccurullo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imbastaro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riario-Sforza
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Giacomo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zuliani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fellin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002570:Ceruloplasmin / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016877:Oxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D016877:Oxidants; D003300:Copper; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D015032:Zinc