title: [Blood plasma zinc and copper concentrations in patients with purulent soft tissue wounds].
abstract: The paper considers postoperative imbalance of the trace elements zinc and copper in 40 surgical patients aged 47.2 +/- 17.1 years who have extensive purulent soft tissue wounds (PSTW). In 90% of the patients with PSTW, plasma Zn++ levels were much lower than the reference values (the normal value was 11.1-19.5 micromol/l) while in 47.5%, serum Zn++ was in the range of less than 7 micromol/l, which is a poor prognostic factor. There was a negative correlation between the level of Zn++ and that of C-reactive protein (CRP) and a positive correlation between the former and the magnitude of a reduction in transferrin (TF) as a marker of protein-energy malnutrition. Plasma Cu/Zn ratio is shown to be of very clinical importance. The higher this ratio (normal ratio 0.9-1.13) is, the more severe the general condition of patients with PSTW, the higher CRP values (above 120 mg/l; normal value 0-6 mg/l), and the lower TF levels are. In patients with PSTW, zinc level and Cu/Zn ratio may act as an independent predictor of a grave condition during a systemic inflammatory reaction.
authors.forename: T U
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Alieva
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Fedorov
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Sviridov
mesh_terms: D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014168:Transferrin; D003300:Copper; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015032:Zinc