پزشکی بالینی ابن سینا (Sep 2008)
Comparison of Plasma Copper Concentrations in Patients with Brucellosis and Control Group
Abstract
Introduction & Objective: There are some reports about influence of the rare nutrients such as copper and zinc on immune system. Serum concentrations of copper alter in patients with brucellosis. Brucellosis is a common and endemic disease and a health problem in Iran. We compared serum concentrations of copper in patients with brucellosis and healthy individuals. Materials & Methods: In a cross sectional study, serum concentrations of copper was measured in patients with brucellosis and control group. Eighty six subjects were enrolled in the study, including 43 patients with brucellosis (34 men and 9 women) and 43 healthy individuals. Serum concentrations of copper was measured by automatic absorptive spectrophotometer in patients with brucellosis and compared with control group. We employed a non parametrical test, kolmogrov – smirnov, to determine if data distribution was normal or not. Results: Mean age of patients with brucellosis was 40.14±15.10 years with the range of 14-60 years. The most frequent symptoms were arthralgia (86%). Serum concentrations of copper in patients with brucellosis were significantly higher than healthy subjects (160.84±54.61, 101.74±27.37 mg/dl respectively, p<0.001). Conclusion: Serum concentrations of copper in patients with brucellosis showed significant alterations in comparison with healthy subjects. So, we recommend using serum copper concentrations in patients with brucellosis as a marker in brucellosis diagnosis. Also we recommend another study for detection of serum copper concentrations before and during treatment.
