Serum Concentrations of Trace Elements/Minerals in Patients with Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis

Trace elements and minerals are essential for cellular physiology and components of biological structures. Previous studies demonstrated that proper serum concentration of trace elements/minerals such as copper maintains optimum function of the immune system, and trace elements/mineral imbalance was associated with various autoimmune disorders. The current study aimed to measure the serum concentrations of trace elements/minerals potassium (K), sodium (Na), chlorine (Cl), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and magnesium (Mg) in patients with diffuse systemic sclerosis (dSSc). Fifty-one patients with dSSc were enrolled in this study. Healthy 106 participants with similar age and gender to the patients were used as healthy control. Roche Cobas 8000 was used to measure the serum concentrations of K, Na, Cl, Ca, P, Fe, Cu, and Mg. The results demonstrated that the serum concentrations of K, Ca, P, and Mg were significantly increased in patients with dSSc, while the serum concentration of Cu was decreased. We next examined the serum concentration of trace elements/minerals in dSSc patients with or without pulmonary fibrosis. The result revealed that the serum concentration of Cu in dSSc patients with pulmonary fibrosis was significantly lower than that in patents without pulmonary fibrosis. Our study provided evidence that serum concentrations of K, Ca, P, Cu, and Mg were changed significantly in dSSc patients, and lower serum concentration of Cu was associated with pulmonary fibrosis.