Concentration of trace elements in blood of Polish patients with prostate cancer

The goal of the study was to analyse the concentrations of chemical elements (Fe, Ni, As, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, Zn) which are important for the determination of environmental toxins (e.g. resulting from smoking, exposure to harmful agents at work) in Polish patients with prostate cancer. The study covered 66 patients with diagnosed prostate cancer and 64 healthy volunteers over 50 years old. The analysis of the concentrations of selected chemical elements in whole blood was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In their blood, the patients with cancer had a significantly higher concentration of only one of the examined elements: arsenic. Additionally, the study group had lower concentrations of chromium, zinc, but also cadmium and lead, which are commonly regarded as carcinogenic. Taking into consideration the control group of healthy subjects of this study, we can assume that the subjects with prostate cancer were exposed to higher levels of arsenic, and that exposure to this element may be associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Analysis of oxidative stress indicators in Polish patients with prostate cancer

The aim of the study was to analyze the activity of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione S-transferase, catalase, superoxide dismutase) and the concentration of malondialdehyde in order to determine the role of detoxification mechanisms in prostate cancer. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were measured using ready-made kits; lipid peroxidation intensity was determined by the thiobarbituric acid method. Superoxide dismutase was the only enzyme among antioxidant and detoxification enzymes for which a statistically significant difference in activity was found between the studied groups (1.4 U·ml^-1 in patients vs. 1.6 U·ml^-1 in control). No statistically significant differences were found for GST, CAT or the concentration of MDA between the group of men with prostate cancer and the control group. The lower SOD activity in men with prostate cancer may be due to a deficiency in their antioxidant defense system.