Association of heavy metals and trace elements in renal cell carcinoma: A case-controlled study

• Published in: Urologic oncology Vol. 40; no. 3; pp. 111.e11 - 111.e18
• Main Authors: Panaiyadiyan, Sridhar, Quadri, Javed Ahsan, Nayak, Brusabhanu, Pandit, Surabhi, Singh, Prabhjot, Seth, Amlesh, Shariff, Ahmadullah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2022
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Antioxidants - analysis; Cadmium; Carcinoma, Renal Cell; Female; Heavy metals; Humans; Kidney Neoplasms; Lead; Male; Mercury; Metals, Heavy; Oxidative stress; Reactive oxygen species; Renal cell carcinoma; Superoxide Dismutase; Trace elements; Trace Elements - analysis; Antioxidants; Oxidative stress; Reactive oxygen species; Trace elements; Renal cell carcinoma; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 1078-1439; 1873-2496; 1873-2496
• DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2021.11.017

•RCC patients had a higher blood levels of As, Cu, Mn, Cd, Pb and Hg than controls.•Trace elements in the blood were above permitted level in 43.4% RCC patients.•Urinary Mn and Se levels were higher in RCC patients.•RCC patients had a significantly lower GSH-Px and a higher LPO levels in the serum. Trace elements and/or heavy metals are important for various biological activities. However, excess amount of these elements is associated with a variety of diseases, including cancer. We aimed to analyse the alterations of trace elements levels in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. In this observational study, patients with biopsy proven RCC were taken as study group while age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were taken as control. Blood and urine samples were compared for Arsenic (As), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Selenium (Se), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg) levels measured by inductively coupled plasma mass-spectroscopy. Serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were assessed to know the redox status between 2 groups. A total of 76 RCC cases and 64 controls were recruited in the study. A significantly higher concentration of As, Cu, Mn, Cd, Pb and Hg were observed in the blood of RCC patients as compared to controls. However, blood Se level was significantly lower in RCC patients. In 33 (43.4%) patients, one or more heavy metals were higher in the blood above their permitted level as compared to 10 (15.6%) subjects in control group. RCC patients had a higher urinary Mn and Se levels compared to controls. A significantly lower GSH-Px (182.08 ± 132.91 vs. 236.95 ± 132.94, P = 0.04) and a higher LPO levels (26.02 ± 20.79 vs. 14.06 ± 8.44, P = 0.003) were noted in RCC patients than controls. SOD levels were comparable between two groups. A significantly altered heavy metals concentration is noted in the blood and urine in RCC patients as compared to healthy controls. An associated lower levels of GSH-Px antioxidant enzyme and increased LPO in RCC patients signifies an imbalance in the redox status.