Serum Concentration of Antioxidant Minerals in Cataract Patients.

Ko, Young Sook; Park, Jong Woon; Lee, Seung Hyuck; Lee, Yang Cha; Hong, Young Jae

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2003;44(10):2358-2363.
Published online October 1, 2003.

Serum Concentration of Antioxidant Minerals in Cataract Patients.

Young Sook Ko, Jong Woon Park, Seung Hyuck Lee, Yang Cha Lee, Young Jae Hong

¹Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
²Department of Ophthalmology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Yonsei Plus Eye Center, Seoul, Korea. yjhong0815@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
³Department of Food and Nutrition, Yonsei University The Graduate School, Korea.

백내장 환자의 혈청내 항산화 무기질 농도

고영숙 ( Go Yeong Sug ) , 박종운 ( Park Jong Un ) , 이승혁 ( Lee Seung Hyeog ) , 이양자 ( Lee Yang Ja ) , 홍영재 ( Hong Yeong Jae )

Abstract

PURPOSE
To determine the levels of antioxidant minerals in serum of normal subjects and patients with cataract. METHODS: Concentrations of antioxidant minerals such as selenium, manganese, copper, zinc were measured with atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) 4110ZL in serum of 45 normal subjects (group 1) and 34 patients (group 2) with cataract, and Cu/Zn ratio was calculated. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of copper were 108.9 +/- 5.48 (male) and 106.9 +/- 5.25 microgram/dl (female) in group 1, 100.9 +/- 5.87 (male), 105.6 +/- 3.68 microgram/dl (female) in group 2, respectively. For zinc they were 105.8 +/- 7.33 (male) and 103.7 +/- 4.24 microgram/dl (female) in group 1, 80.0 +/- 5.78 (male) and 95.1 +/- 6.18 microgram/dl (female) in group 2, respectively. Zn/Cu ratio were 0.98 +/- 0.02 (male) and 1.05 +/- 0.08 (female) in group 1, 1.58 +/- 0.29 (male) and 1.19 +/- 0.09 (female) in group 2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Serum zinc concentration in male was significantly lower in cataract patients than in normal subjects (p<0.01). Cu/Zn ratio was lower in cataract patients than in normal subjects in male, but not in female. Further nutrional survey is necessary to determine the relationship between level of antioxidant minerals and development and progression of cataract.

Key Words: Cataract;Copper;Manganese;Selenium;Zinc