Korean J Nephrol.  2001 Sep;20(5):863-871.

Clinical Significance of Blood Level of Zinc and Copper in Chronic Renal Failure Patients

• Tak WT
• Yoon SC

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular complications are one of the main causes of deaths in chronic renal failure patients, and anemia is also the frequent complication. It has been reported that zinc and copper are participated in the process of the atherosclerosis and anemia directly or indirectly. The increased oxidative stress in the chronic renal failure which has the decreased anti-oxidative activity is correlated with the progression of the atherosclerosis and anemia. The decreased activity of anti-oxidative defense come from the decreased activity of the superoxide dismutase, which is considered to be followed by the decreased serum level of zinc and copper. METHODS: In this study, We designed to know how much significant correlation between the respective level of the copper & zinc and the clinical items of anemia & atherosclerosis, in addition to that, we observed the blood level of copper and zinc in chronic renal failure, what kind of change will be shown according to dialysis duration, dialysis method, whether the dialysis is done or not. Only zinc, not copper was positively related to the hemoglobin level(p<0.05). RESULTS: Only copper, not zinc was negatively related to the triglyceride level(p<0.05). The blood level of copper was generally increased in chronic renal failure, but was insignificant. The blood level of zinc was generally decreased in chronic renal failure, especially significantly decreased in pre-dialysis chronic renal failure patients. No significant correlation was found between the blood level of copper & zinc and the dialysis duration & dialysis method. However, there was the increasing tendency of blood level of zinc, following to the time passage of duration of dialysis. In the survey about the correlation with the growing age, this was related to the copper in the positive pattern, and the zinc in the negative pattern. CONCLUSION: Taken together, We observed the indirect clinical evidence the blood level of copper is correlated with the lipid level, as well as the blood level of zinc is correlated with the anemia. The blood level of copper and zinc in chronic renal failure patients was expected increased, but two weren't increased, and weren't affected by dialysis method,duration of dialysis. But some correlation was observed with the growing age.

Keyword

Copper; Zinc; Atherosclerosis; Anemia; Chronic renal failure