MONONUCLEAR AND POLYMORPHONUCLEAR CELL ZINC AND SERUM TRACE-ELEMENT CONCENTRATIONS IN HEALTHY-ADULTS

Mononuclear (MNC) and polymorphonuclear (PMNC) cell zinc content together with serum zinc, iron, copper and bromide concentrations were measured in 199 healthy Finnish subjects (both genders, age from 18 to 80 years). Trace elements determinations were made with the particle induced X-ray emission method (PIXE). MNC zinc content (mean +/-SD) was 1.06 +/- 0.37 mumol/10(10) cells (68.8 +/- 24.9 mug/10(10) cells) and reference interval 0.37-1.96 mumol/10(10) cells (24.4-127.9 mug/10(10) cells). PMNC zinc was 0.72 +/- 0.23 mumol/10(10) cells (46.6 +/- 15.7 mug/10(10) cells) and reference interval 0.26-1.26 mumol/10(10) cells (17.0-82.2 mug/10(10) Cells). Mean values and reference intervals (in parentheses) for serum zinc were 13.4 +/- 2.5 mumol/I (9.3-19.1 mumol/l), for serum iron 18.6 +/- 11.4 mumol/I (6.6-47.7 mumol/1), for serum copper 19.7 +/- 5.5 mumol/I (12.2-33.4 mumol/1), and for serum bromide 64.3 +/- 14.0 mumol/I (42.0-99.0 mumol/l). No correlation existed between serum, MNC and PMNC zinc. Furthermore, none of the trace element parameters correlated with age.