The objective of this study was to estimate the content of copper, zinc, selenium, cadmium, and lead in the tissue of patients with aortic aneurysms. Molar ratio of Cu/Zn and antioxidant micronutrients to toxic elements was also calculated. A total of 108 patients: 47 with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), 61 patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), and a control group of 20 abdominal aortic (AA) and 20 thoracic aortic (TA) wall samples from the deceased were studied. The concentrations of mineral components in the tissue samples were determined by the AAS method. The average concentration of Cu in the aortic wall of patients with TAA was significantly lower than in the aortic wall samples of healthy people. The mean concentration of Zn in the aortic wall of patients with AAA and TAA was significantly lower than in the control group samples. Cu/Zn ratio was significantly higher in AAA patients than in control group which indicates a greater role of oxidative stress and inflammatory process in this type of aneurysm. The concentration of Se was significantly decreased in TAA patients compared with the control group; in turn, the concentration of Pb was increased in this group of patients. We observed significantly lower Cu/Pb ratio in TAA patients than in control group, whereas Zn/Pb ratio was significantly lower comparing with control samples in both types of aneurysms. In the examined aneurysms, we have shown the differences in concentrations of mineral components compared with the control tissues. The Zn concentration was decreased in both AAA and TAA samples. Impaired ratio of Zn to Pb may predispose to aortic aneurysms.
Keywords: Aortic aneurysm; Cadmium; Copper; Lead; Selenium; Zinc.