title: Evaluation of zinc status in whole blood and scalp hair of female cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Zinc is essential for all life forms and plays a vital role in human nutrition and biochemical functions. Epidemiologic studies suggest that zinc deficiency may be associated with increased risk of cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the concentration of Zn in whole blood and scalp hair of female patients with breast and ovarian cancers from different cities of Pakistan. Sixty-five patients (30-60 y) and 50 healthy subjects of the same age groups were included. Both controlled and study group female patients were of same socio-economic status, localities and dietary habits. The scalp hair and whole blood samples were oxidized by mixture of 65% nitric acid: 30% hydrogen peroxide (2:1) ratio in microwave oven, to reduce the conventional wet acid digestion period. The proposed method was validated by certified sample of human hair BCR 397 and Clincheck control-lyophilized human whole blood. The all digested samples were analyzed for Zn concentration using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant decrease in mean total of Zn in whole blood and scalp hair samples of both cancer groups of patients compared to a controlled healthy female group (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an association of Zn with biological samples in different types of cancer in females.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro76080, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ateeq-ur-Rehman
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Tasneem Gul
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Kazi
authors.forename: Hassan Imran
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Afridi
authors.forename: Mohammad Khan
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jamali
authors.forename: Mohammad Bilal
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Arain
authors.forename: Nusrat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jalbani
authors.forename: Nasreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Syed
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012535:Scalp / Q000737:chemistry*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc