Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify those trace elements which can be used to distinguish between normal and malignant tissue in renal cell cancer (RCC) kidney and to assess changes in trace elements concentration in tissue with progressing malignant disease.
Methods: In case control study, 36 cases of RCC were analyzed by Synchrotron Radiation Induced X-ray Emission (SRIXE) in order to establish the concentration of 19 elements. Patients with RCC were examined to obtain staging of disease after radical nephrectomy, which was performed in each case. Results were compared with 15 control kidney cortex tissue obtained during autopsy in which cause of death was trauma.
Results: The most relevant decrease was detected in Cd content: from 81 +/- 39.2 ppm in normal control samples to 16.6 +/- 22.2 ppm concentration in RCC. We found that the concentrations of Ti, Pb and Rb were also lower in RCC tissue. On the other hand, the RCC tissue was rich in iron and zirconium. With the progress of malignant disease, assessed by TNM (UICC 1997) scale, lower concentration of S and higher concentration of Ca in both RCC and neoplastic kidney cortex can be seen. The same tendency is observed in Zn and Se concentrations. Cadmium shows raising concentration with progress of RCC only in cortex of neoplastic kidney. In all cases it was shown that the relatively high tissue concentration of iron in both investigated tissues is decreasing with the progress of disease. The zirconium has shown raising tissue concentration in advanced disease.
Conclusion: Trace elements concentration is different in malignant tissue and surrounding macroscopically unchanged kidney cortex. Progress of the disease is connected with changes in trace elements concentration. This may reflect different biology of compared tissue with potential practical implication.