title: [Investigation of trace elements in hair of patients with prostate carcinoma, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and normal controls].
abstract: Five trace metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) in the hair of healthy subjects(n = 10) and patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (n = 17) and prostatic cancer (n = 18) were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results were that zinc level in patients with prostatic carcinoma [(79.1 +/- 37.3) microgram.g-1] was significantly lower than that in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy [(129 +/- 26.7) microgram.g-1] and normal controls [(152 +/- 31.5) microgram.g-1] (All P < 0.01); Cd, Cu, Fe, and Mn levels in the hair showed no statistic difference among the three groups (P > 0.05). It is suggested that the low zinc level in the hair might provide an important clue for diagnosing prostatic carcinoma at the early stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Hunan Medical University, Changsha 410078.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc