Tissue Heavy Metals in Liver Diseases

Abstract

Background: Our objective was to determine the levels of heavy metals, oxidants, and antioxidants in liver tissue of patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) compared with healthy living liver donors (LLDs).

Methods: We obtained liver specimens from patients undergoing liver transplant for CLD. Samples were also obtained from LLDs. Biochemical analyses were performed on all samples, and the levels of liver tissue, heavy metal, and oxidant-antioxidants biomarker levels in patients with CLD were compared with those measured in LLDs.

Results: One hundred and eighteen individuals were included for analyses. Fifty-nine were patients with CLD, and 59 were LLDs. The median levels of liver tissue of superoxide dismutase (P = .009), glutathione peroxidase (P = .042), total oxidant status (P = .006), oxidative stress index (P < .001), and copper (P = .035) were prominently more elevated in CLD than LLDs. On the other hand, the median levels of liver tissue of cadmium (P < .001), selenium (P = .042), and zinc (P < .001) levels were more elevated in the LLDs than patients with CLD. The 2 groups were similar in terms of total antioxidant status, manganese, arsenic, and lead levels.

Conclusions: Superoxide accumulation in the liver was higher in patients with CLD. Concerning heavy metals, only the median tissue copper was elevated in patients with CLD with higher Cu/Zn ratio. Cadmium, selenium, and zinc were significantly higher in the healthy LLDs.