title: A comparison of serum selenium, zinc and copper level in visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leishmaniasis is a widespread tropical infection, which has a high incidence rate in Iran. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are two forms of this disease. In this study, we investigated if selenium (Se), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) levels differ in different forms of leishmaniasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine if leishmaniasis has effects on trace elements status, they were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in patients (n = 155, 95 CL and 60 VL) and control group (n = 100).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our findings indicate that there is a significant difference in the values of Se and Zn between control and patient groups (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001, respectively). Se and Zn levels were 3.65 ± 0.88 and 67.24 ± 18.76 μg/dL in the leishmaniasis patients, and these values were observed to be statistically lower compared to the control groups (11.10 ± 2.37 and 119.61 ± 26.18 μg/dL, respectively). Meanwhile, no significant difference in status of Cu was found between the cases (110.55 ± 29.25 μg/dL) and healthy subjects (91.42 ± 27.54 μg/dL) (P > 0.05). When the patients were divided into two groups, there appeared to be a significant decrease (P < 0.001) in Se concentration for VL patients (2.57 ± 0.64 μg/dL) compared with CL patients (4.33 ± 1.06 μg/dL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these results, serum Se and Zn levels could be a useful marker for the pathophysiology of leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Laboratory, Nuclear Science Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Farzin
authors.affiliation: Environmental Laboratory, Nuclear Science Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Esmail
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Moassesi
keywords: Antioxidant trace elements; atomic absorption spectroscopy; cutaneous leishmaniasis; trace elements; visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis
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