[Determination of Fe, Mg, Cu, and Zn in normal and pathological prostatic tissue]

Using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS), Fe, Cu, Mg and Zn tissue concentrations were determined in 100 prostates with anatomopathological diagnosis of benign hyperplasia (25 cases), hyperplasia-associated prostatitis (25 cases), adenocarcinoma (25 cases) and normal gland (25 cases). Also at the same time, serum concentrations of the same elements were determined in order to correlate both results and see whether there was a relationship between them. A subsequent statistical study of the results was made looking for significant differences between the anatomopathological groups considered. Also a correlation study of these ions was conducted using Pearson's correlation coefficient(r). This report describes in detail the methodology used to conduct the present study, from tissue obtention through AAS determinations. According to the results obtained, prostatic adenocarcinoma shows in this study a Zn tissue concentration sensibly lower than that seen in hyperplasia, prostatitis and normal tissue. Also, Mg concentration is lower than in the other groups. In eutrophic prostatic tissue, Mg tissue concentrations were higher than in hyperplastic tissue and prostatitis, while Cu and Fe concentrations were lower as compared with the mentioned pathologies. These results have been compared to other series, and the biochemical assessment of the findings disclosed for discussion.