title: Changes in copper and zinc serum levels in women wearing a copper TCu-380A intrauterine device.
abstract: OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of the copper intrauterine device (IUD) TCu-380A, on copper and zinc serum levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS This longitudinal study enrolled 121 women attending Health Centres in Tehran between November 2011 and August 2012. A blood sample was obtained before use and three months after insertion of a TCu-380A IUD. Serum levels of copper and zinc were measured for the 101 women who had completed three months with the device in situ. Analyses of change included paired t-tests, McNemar tests and linear regression. RESULTS Significant elevations in mean serum levels were found for both copper (170.22 μg/dl at three months vs.160.40 μg/dl at baseline, p = 0.034) and zinc (107.67 μg/dl at three months vs. 94.61 μg/dl at baseline, p < 0.001) three months after IUD insertion. CONCLUSIONS A slight, but significant increase in copper serum levels, not reaching toxic levels, was observed three months after TCu-380A IUD insertion. Zinc levels too had risen significantly, which was quite unexpected, and warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: * Department of Midwifery & Reproductive Health.
authors.forename: Somaieh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imani
authors.forename: Lida
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moghaddam-Banaem
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roudbar-Mohammadi
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asghari-Jafarabadi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007435:Intrauterine Devices, Copper; D007492:Iran; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc