title: Copper, zinc, and Cu/Zn ratio in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many epidemiological and experimental studies report a strong role of chemical carcinogens in the etiology of bladder cancer. However, involvement of trace elements in the tumorigenesis of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder has been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between zinc, copper and bladder cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Zinc and copper concentration and Cu/Zn ratio in two 36-sample series of bladder cancer tissue and sera from patients with this neoplasm were matched with those of the control group. The amount of trace elements in every tissue sample was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. This was correlated with tumor stage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While the copper concentrations reached statistically higher values in the bladder cancer tissue, the zinc levels in the sera and bladder tissue of the patients with this carcinoma were substantially lower as compared to those of the control group. The serum Cu/Zn ratio was significantly higher in the bladder cancer group and this increase was greater in the patients with muscle-invasive neoplasm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained suggest a relationship between trace elements and the bladder cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. elementare@op.pl
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Golabek
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Darewicz
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borawska
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Socha
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Markiewicz
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kudelski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000097:blood*; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D014131:Trace Elements; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc