Serum copper levels in benign and malignant thyroid diseases

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Trace Element Metabolism
• Oncology

Background:

• Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in regulating trace element metabolism, including copper.
• Alterations in copper levels are observed in various endocrine and neoplastic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare serum copper (Cu) levels in individuals with benign thyroid disease and malignant thyroid cancer against healthy controls.
• To analyze the changes in serum Cu levels following surgical intervention in these patient groups.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 47 female patients with papillary thyroid cancer, 43 female patients with benign multinodular goiter, and 37 healthy female controls.
• Serum Cu concentrations were quantified using atomic absorption spectrophotometry before and after total thyroidectomy for the patient groups.

Main Results:

• Patients with papillary thyroid cancer exhibited significantly higher pre- and postoperative serum Cu levels compared to controls (p<0.05).
• Serum Cu levels in the benign multinodular goiter group were significantly lower than in controls both pre- and postoperatively (p<0.05).
• A significant decrease in serum Cu was observed post-surgery in both papillary thyroid cancer and benign goiter groups (p<0.05), with levels remaining elevated in cancer patients compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• This study is the first to report on serum Cu levels in benign and malignant thyroid disease patients relative to controls.
• Findings suggest that serum Cu levels are elevated in malignant thyroid conditions and reduced in benign thyroid disease.
• Serum Cu levels demonstrate distinct patterns in benign versus malignant thyroid pathologies, warranting further investigation.