title: Assessment of trace elements in sera of patients undergoing renal dialysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the serum levels of copper, zinc, iron, and lead in patients on maintenance dialysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study performed at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between September 2011 and October 2012 included 42 patients with end stage renal disease on hemodialysis (HD), 18 patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 18 normal controls. Serum copper, zinc, and lead levels were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and serum iron was determined by spectrophotometric determination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median serum copper level in HD patients (20.5 nmol/L; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.52-22.39; interquartile range [IQR]: 16.40-24.20) was higher (p=0.001) than the controls (14.30 nmol/L; 95% CI: 9.72-16.91; IQR: 9.70-17), and the PD patients (15.60 nmol/L; 95% CI: 14.17-16.66; IQR: 14.10-16.70). Although no different from PD patients` serum levels of zinc in HD patients (9.50 nmol/L; 95% CI: 7.83-12.09; IQR: 7.00-14.40) were lower than controls (13.20 nmol/L; 95% CI: 10.65-15.22; IQR: 10.58-15.35; p=0.03). Copper/zinc ratio in HD patients was 2.4, 2.5 in PD patients, and 0.88 in controls. The serum iron levels in HD patients (10 mmol/L; 95% CI: 8.03-11.96; IQR: 7-14.50; p=0.003), and PD patients (10 mmol/L; 95% CI 6.56-14.43; IQR 5.50-15; p=0.03) were lower than controls. Serum lead levels in PD patients (0.11 umol/L; 95% CI: 0.02-0.14; IQR: 0.02-0.14) were lower than HD patients (0.18 umol/; 95% CI: 0.15-0.21; IQR: 0.13-0.25; p=0.005), and controls (0.15 umol/L; 95% CI: 0.07-0.24; IQR: 0.06-0.25; p=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alterations in serum trace elements emphasize the need for monitoring trace elements in patients receiving maintenance dialysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and University Hospitals, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (11) 4692697. Fax. +966 (11) 4672575. E-mail: ranamomen@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rana M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hasanato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D007854:Lead; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc