학술논문
Evaluation of zinc and copper levels in vaginal tissues and whole blood: correlation with age
Document Type
article
Author
Source
BMC Women's Health, Vol 21, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2021)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
1472-6874
Abstract
Abstract Background Zinc and copper are essential trace elements and play a crucial role in the homeostasis of connective tissues. In this study, we aimed to define zinc and copper levels in the vaginal tissue and establish whether a correlation exists between the zinc and copper levels either or both in whole blood or vaginal tissue samples and whether the finding correlates with the age of the patient or at least with her menopausal status. Methods We collected whole blood and vaginal tissue samples from 32 women and measured their zinc and copper levels by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. We have performed Student's t test to evaluate the differences in the mean levels of trace elements and multiple regression to evaluate the association between vaginal tissue zinc/copper levels and age, menopausal status, number of vaginal deliveries, and zinc/copper blood levels. Results Zinc levels were significantly higher in both the vaginal tissues and whole blood samples than copper levels (p