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Unlabelled: The purpose of the present work was to assess the relationship of leukocyte and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity to its cofactors concentrations i.e. zinc and copper in plasma and erythrocyte in diabetic patients and treatment variability. 104 patients were included in the study. 23 persons were in the control group. All patients were divided into 2 groups (NIDDM and IDDM). Patients with NIDDM were divided into 3 subgroups depending on treatment (insulin, gliclazide, dietary treated). In all groups, there were assessed following parameters: the leucocyte and erythrocyte SOD activity according to the method of Misra and Fridovich, and zinc and copper concentrations in plasma and erythrocyte, which were measured by flame absorption spectrophotometry. Statistical analysis was performed using the CRISP program., Conclusion: 1. The leukocyte and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity is significantly lowered in diabetes mellitus. 2. In diabetic patients both in type I and type II as in the healthy people, there is a close correlation between SOD activity and its cofactors i.e. zinc and copper erythrocyte concentrations. 3. Insulin and gliclazide treatment increases SOD activity and delays late diabetic complications.

Zinc is a component or activator of many enzymes, especially enzymes participating in biosynthesis processes of nucleic acids and proteins. Thus the role of that microelement in the development of children is very important. The paper discusses clinical pictures of both mild and acute zinc deficiencies. Since the biological availability of zinc is much greater from mother's milk than from cow milk, thus during discontinuation of breast feeding the possibility is to be considered of occurrence of zinc deficiency.

The group of children infested with Giardia intestinalis consisted of 52 children aged from 3 to 10 years. The infestation was diagnosed on the basis of duodenal contents examination. The control group comprised 50 children in whom no infestation with intestinal parasites was found. Mean age of children in both groups was not different. Disturbances were found in zinc metabolism in children with Giardia intestinalis infestation. Mean serum zinc concentration in those children was 58% of serum zinc concentration in children in the control group. Similarly, zinc concentration in the erythrocytes of children in the infested group was lower and was 64% of the concentration in children in the control group. Elimination of zinc with urine in infested children was lower than in the control group, and was 36% of the level in non-infested children. Mean concentrations of serum zinc carriers, total protein, albumin fraction and transferrin were not differing between both studied group of children. Also the concentration of picolinic acid--a zinc absorption factor in the gastrointestinal tract--in duodenal contents was similar in both groups. The above mentioned results show that in children infested with Giardia intestinalis a decrease occurs of zinc absorption from the gastrointestinal tract which causes zinc deficiencies in the those children.

A review of the results published up to now of the determinations of serum zinc and copper levels showed that the criteria of selection of the groups of healthy subjects were lacking precision and rather arbitrary. The authors determined serum concentrations in 112 of healthy subjects fulfilling the individual criteria. No significant differences were found between the concentrations of these metals in the serum in this group of subjects and the mean concentration of these metals reported in the investigations quoted in the available literature. Serum copper concentration in patients was significantly higher than in healthy controls, while serum zinc concentration in the patients was not significantly different from that determined in healthy subjects.

Earlier investigators have demonstrated in animal studies interrelationships between mineral elements. Serum zinc, magnesium and copper were monitored over a two year period in 120 women between the ages of 40 and 55 years. One group (65 women) was supplemented with calcium, the other served as a control. We concluded that calcium supplementation at a level of 1,500 mg Ca mainly does not affect serum zinc, magnesium and copper, however, serum copper concentration is elevated in women taking medication for hypertension.

Serum vitamin A concentrations were measured in 22 patients with laryngeal cancer and found to be significantly lower than those of patients of similar age with either nonmalignant laryngeal or other than laryngeal diseases. The levels of vitamin A in the patients with laryngeal cancer, but not in the controls, significantly correlated with serum concentrations of retinol-binding protein (RBP) and zinc. It is suggested that low levels of zinc might reduce the synthesis of RBP and thus reduce the mobilization of vitamin A from the liver stores.

Studies of zinc and copper contents of breast milk were performed in 34 mothers during their lactation period until 5 days postpartum. They experienced no problems during pregnancy and delivery. All women had full term healthy infants, 22 were multiparous and 12 primiparous. The highest zinc concentration was found in the colostrum, and subsequently the concentration declined. Copper content was stable during the 5 days of lactation. Significantly lower zinc concentration and higher copper concentration were found in the serum of lactating women 3 days post partum, when compared with non-lactating women. Factors including lactation history, age of lactating women, serum levels of zinc and copper did not affect the contents of these trace minerals in breast milk.

The copper and zinc concentrations in 44 malignant and 48 nonmalignant women tissue samples of reproductive organs in women were measured. In malignant samples, the mean copper concentrations were 110%, 76%, and 38% higher for cervix, endometrium and ovary than the nonmalignant ones. The zinc concentrations in the analysed malignant tissues were lower than that in the corresponding nonmalignant tissues. The results of superoxide dismutase activities determinations demonstrate a considerable lowering of the enzymatic capacities to remove free oxygen radical in malignant tissues. A hypothesis for possible mechanism involving elevated copper concentrations, and decreased zinc concentrations, which may be responsible for malignant processes, are presented.