SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of iron, zinc, and copper levels in pterygium tissue

  • Clinical Investigation
  • Published:
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To determine the concentration of the trace elements iron, copper, and zinc in pterygium tissue and healthy conjunctiva tissue and to investigate the involvement of these elements in pterygium etiopathogenesis.

Methods

Twenty patients with pterygium were enrolled in the study. The pterygium was excised and a conjunctival rotational flap or autograft inserted. Normal conjunctiva tissue was obtained from the flap or graft. The concentrations of iron, zinc, and copper in the pterygium and conjunctiva tissues were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion.

Results

Iron, zinc, and copper levels were significantly higher in the pterygium tissue than in the normal conjunctiva (P < 0.001). The mean iron, zinc, and copper concentrations in the pterygium tissue were 819, 214, and 3.40 μg/g, whereas the mean concentrations of these elements in the control tissue were 491, 148, and 2.19 μg/g, respectively.

Conclusions

Pterygium is a fibrovascular proliferative disorder and elevated levels of trace elements in pterygium tissue may play a pathogenic role via oxidative damage.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Qing-feng L, Liang XU, Qi-sheng YQ, **ao-hui Y, Tong-tong C. Epidemiology of pterygium in aged rural population of Bei**g, China. Chin Med J. 2010;123:1699–701.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Shiroma H, Higa A, Sawaguchi S, Iwase A, Tomidokoro A, Amano S, et al. Prevalence and risk factors of pterygium in a southwestern island of Japan: the Kumejima study. Am J Ophthalmol. 2009;148:766–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Marcovich AL, Morad Y, Sandbank J, Huszar M, Rosner M, Pollack A, et al. Angiogenesis in pterygium: morphometric and immunohistochemical study. Curr Eye Res. 2002;25:17–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Balcı M, Şahin S, Mutlu FM, Yagcı R, Karancı P, Yıldız M. Investigation of oxidative stress in pterygium tissue. Mol Vis. 2011;17:443–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Jomova K, Vondrakova D, Lawson M, Valko M. Metals, oxidative stress and neurodegenerative disorders. Mol Cell Biochem. 2010;345:91–104.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Jomova K, Valko M. Advances in metal-induced oxidative stress and human disease. Toxicology. 2011;283:65–87.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Songur A, Kus İ, Şahin S, Söğüt S, Ozen OA, Yaman M, et al. The changes of zinc, copper and iron levels in lung tissue after formaldehyde inhalation during the early postnatal period of rats. Eur J Gen Med. 2005;2:62–8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gupte A, Mumper RJ. Elevated copper and oxidative stress in cancer cells as a target for cancer treatment. Cancer Treat Rev. 2009;35:32–46.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Rajendran R, Minqin R, Ynsa MD, Casadesus G, Smith MA, Perry G, et al. A novel approach to the identification and quantitative elemental analysis of amyloid deposits—insights into the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009;382:91–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Loh A, Hadziahmetovic M, Dunaief JL. Iron homeostasis and eye disease. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2009;1790:637–49.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Prousek J. Fenton chemistry in biology and medicine. Pure Appl Chem. 2007;79:2325–38.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Gebhardt M, Mentlein R, Schaudig U, Pufe T, Recker K, Nölle B, et al. Differential expression of vascular endothelial growth factor implies the limbal origin of pterygia. Ophthalmology. 2005;112:1023–30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Bradley JC, Yang W, Bradley RH, Reid TW, Schwab IR. The science of pterygia. Br J Ophthalmol. 2010;94:815–20.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Stadler N, Lindner RA, Davies MJ. Direct detection and quantification of transition metal ions in human atherosclerotic plaques: evidence for the presence of elevated levels of iron and copper. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004;24:949–54.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Haidari M, Javadi E, Kadkhodaee M, Sanati A. Enhanced susceptibility to oxidation and diminished vitamin E content of LDL from patients with stable coronary artery disease. Clin Chem. 2001;47:1234–40.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dunaief JL. Iron induced oxidative damage as a potential factor in age-related macular degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2006;47:4660–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Murrel TG. Epidemiological and biochemical support for a theory on the cause and prevention of breast cancer. Med Hypotheses. 1991;36:389–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Huang YL, Sheu JY, Lin TH. Association between oxidative stress and changes of trace elements in patients with breast cancer. Clin Biochem. 1999;32:131–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bray TM, Bettger WJ. The physiological role of zinc as an antioxidant. Free Radic Biol Med. 1990;8:281–91.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Lee SJ, Koh JY. Roles of zinc and metallothionein-3 in oxidative stress-induced lysosomal dysfunction, cell death, and autophagy in neurons and astrocytes. Mol Brain. 2010;3(1):30.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Di Giriloma N, Wakefield D, Coroneo MT. Differential expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors at the advancing pterygium head. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2000;41:4142–9.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey

    Hüseyin Ortak & Helin Deniz Demir

  2. Faculty of Science and Arts of Chemistry, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey

    Durali Mendil

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey

    Erkan Söğüt

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Göztepe Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Aylin Ardagil

  5. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat, Turkey

    Mücahit Eğri

Authors
  1. Hüseyin Ortak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Helin Deniz Demir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Durali Mendil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Erkan Söğüt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Aylin Ardagil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Mücahit Eğri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hüseyin Ortak.

About this article

Cite this article

Ortak, H., Demir, H.D., Mendil, D. et al. Evaluation of iron, zinc, and copper levels in pterygium tissue. Jpn J Ophthalmol 56, 219–223 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-012-0118-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-012-0118-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation