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  • Original Article
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Alterations in serum levels of trace elements in tuberculosis and HIV infections

Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate serum concentrations of trace elements in tuberculosis (TB) patients with or with out human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection before and after anti-TB chemotherapy.

Subjects:

A total of 155 TB patients, 74 of which were coinfected with HIV, and 31 healthy controls from Gondar, Ethiopia.

Methods:

Serum levels of copper, zinc, selenium and iron were determined using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer from all subjects at baseline and from 44 TB patients (22 with HIV coinfection) at the end of an intensive phase of anti-TB chemotherapy.

Results:

Compared with the control group, the concentrations of iron, zinc and selenium were significantly lower (P<0.05) while that of copper and copper/zinc ratio was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the serum of TB patients. TB patients with HIV coinfection had significantly lower serum zinc and selenium concentrations and significantly higher copper/zinc ratio compared to that in TB patients without HIV coinfection (P<0.05). The serum concentration of zinc had significantly increased at the end of intensive phase of anti-TB chemotherapy in patients without HIV coinfection (P<0.05). An increase in serum selenium level was observed in TB patients with or without HIV coinfection after therapy. On the contrary, serum copper concentration and copper/zinc ratio declined significantly after anti-TB chemotherapy irrespective of HIV serostatus (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

The results indicate that TB patients have altered profile of trace elements in their sera. This warrants the need for further investigations so that strategies for trace elements supplementation can be planned in addition to their potential as diagnostic parameters in monitoring responses to anti-TB chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgements

The study was financially supported by a Grant in Aid (No. 14657017) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, and also partly by the University of Gondar, Ethiopia and the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from the Japan Science Society (No. 17–241). We thank the study participants, and staff of TB clinic and laboratory of University of Gondar Hospital without whom this study could not have been completed.

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Correspondence to F Ota.

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Guarantor: A Kassu.

Contributors: AK was responsible for the design of research and sampling, preparation of research protocol, collection of data, analyses of data, interpretation and manuscript writing. TY was involved in preparation of research protocol, in ICP-MS analyses, interpretation of results and manuscript writing. ZHM, AM, NN and BTMH were involved in preparation of research protocol, in analyses of data and manuscript writing. GH was involved in preparation of research protocol, in collection of clinical samples, in laboratory investigations and manuscript writing. ED and BA were involved in design of research, recruiting patients and controls, in clinical examination, data analyses and manuscript writing. YW was involved in preparation of research protocol, in collection of clinical samples, interpretation of results and writing of the manuscript. JM was involved in preparation of research protocol, interpretation of results and writing of the manuscript. FO was involved in design of the research, in consultation and guidance during data collection and analyses, and in writing of the manuscript.

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Kassu, A., Yabutani, T., Mahmud, Z. et al. Alterations in serum levels of trace elements in tuberculosis and HIV infections. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 580–586 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602352

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