title: A study on metals content in patients with colorectal polyps.
abstract: Data on metals involvement in colorectal polyps are scarce and fragmentary. The aim of this study was to examine whether the level of metals could be associated with risk of colorectal polyp development. The concentration of 15 chemical elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg Mg, Mn, Pb, Se, Sr, and Zn) in 17 colorectal biopsies of healthy individuals, in 15 polypotic and corresponding nonpolypotic biopsies taken from the same individual, was evaluated. Concentration in polyps of metals such as Al, Ca, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sr, and Zn was unchanged both in unpaired and paired samples; elements such as Ba, Cd, and Hg were significantly lower and Fe was significantly higher both in individual and paired tissues. Cobalt, Cr, and Cu were significantly different only between polyps and the adjacent normal tissue area; Se showed a significant accumulation comparing polyps versus healthy tissues. The difference found in some elements between polyps and a control tissue provides an indication about the role of essential and nonessential elements in the early stage (polyps) in the colon carcinogenic process and encourages further studies to confirm the involvement of such elements in neoplastic processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy. alessandro.alimonti@iss.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alimonti
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bocca
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamazza
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: Siavash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fiori
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iacomino
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schillaci
authors.forename: Ercole
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Masi
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014131:Trace Elements