title: Serum Concentrations of Selenium and Copper in Patients Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer (PaCa) is still insufficient. This study evaluated the associations between concentrations of selenium (Se) and copper (Cu) in the serum of PaCa patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 100 PaCa patients and 100 control subjects from the same geographical region in Poland. To determine the average concentration of Se, Cu, and ratio Cu:Se in the Polish population, assay for Se and Cu was performed in 480 healthy individuals. Serum levels of Se and Cu were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the control group, the average Se level was 76 µg/L and Cu 1,098 µg/L. The average Se level among PaCa patients was 60 µg/L and the mean Cu level was 1,432 µg/L. The threshold point at which any decrease in Se concentration was associated with PaCa was 67.45 µg/L. The threshold point of Cu level above which there was an increase in the prevalence of PaCa was 1,214.58 µg/L. In addition, a positive relationship was observed between increasing survival time and Se plasma level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This retrospective study suggests that low levels of Se and high levels of Cu might influence development of PaCa and that higher levels of Se are associated with longer survival in patients with PaCa. The results suggest that determining the level of Se and Cu could be incorporated into a risk stratification scheme for the selection and surveillance control examination to complement existing screening and diagnostic procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lener
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Medical Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle and The Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Endoscopy, Division of Heath Care Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiechowska-Kozłowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Serrano-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baszuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jaworska-Bieniek
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sukiennicki
authors.affiliation: Read-Gene S.A., Grzepnica, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marciniak
authors.affiliation: Read-Gene S.A., Grzepnica, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muszyńska
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Oncological Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Józef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kładny
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gromowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaczmarek
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jakubowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Pathology, International Hereditary Cancer Center, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.|Read-Gene S.A., Grzepnica, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lubiński
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003300:Copper; D012643:Selenium
keywords: Copper; Pancreatic neoplasms; Retrospective studies; Selenium