title: Copper-Zinc ratio and nutritional status in colorectal cancer patients during the perioperative period.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine Cu/Zn ratio, nutritional and inflammatory status in patients during the perioperative period for colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included patients with histological diagnosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma (Cancer Group, n=46) and healthy volunteers (Control Group, n=28). We determined habitual food intake, body composition, laboratory data of nutritional status, serum calprotectin and plasma Cu and Zn concentrations. Mann-Whitney U-test was performed between-group comparisons and Spearman correlation test for correlations between the variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals in the Cancer Group presented significantly lower BMI, fat mass, plasma hemoglobin, total protein and albumin as compared with the Control Group. Serum calprotectin[70.1 ng/mL (CI95% 55.8-84.5) vs.53.3 ng/mL (40.3-66.4), p=0.05], plasma Cu concentrations [120 µg/dL(CI95% 114-126) vs. 106 µg/dL(CI95% 98-114), p<0.01] and the Cu/Zn ratio [1.59 (CI95% 1.48-1.71)vs. 1.35 (CI95% 1.23-1.46), p=0.01]were higher in patients with colorectal cancer than in controls. Additionally, the Cancer Group showed negative correlations between the Cu/Zn ratio and Zn intake, hemoglobin, serum albumin, and positive correlation between the Cu/Zn ratio and serum calprotectin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that an increased plasma Cu/Zn ratio and serum calprotectin, and decreased protein values may be a result of the systemic inflammatory response to the tumor process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sofia Miranda de Figueiredo
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amanda Maria Tomazini Munhoz
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moya
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Bitu Moreno
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Aparecida
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Domenici
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marley Ribeiro
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Feitosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Feres
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Joaquim Ribeiro da
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Selma Freire de Carvalho da
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Cunha
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D004435:Eating; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D059035:Perioperative Period; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc