title: High copper and low zinc serum levels in Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis: a case control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) in the serum of Iranian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The serum levels of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were measured in sixty Iranian patients with MS and compared with sixty age-, gender- and socioeconomic status-matched healthy subjects without any neurological disorders as controls from the same geographical area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly lower serum Zn and higher serum Cu levels were found in the MS patients compared with the controls (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.002, respectively). The serum Zn level of the secondary-progressive MS patients was significantly lower compared with the relapsing-remitting MS patients (p = 0.009). There was no significant difference between the serum Cu levels of the two subgroup of MS patients (p = 0.42).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest significant deviations of the Iranian MS patients' serum Zn and Cu levels from the norm.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis and Pediatric Infectious Research Center (TPIRC), Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghazavi
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kianbakht
authors.forename: Keyvan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghasami
authors.forename: Ghasem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mosayebi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc