Zinc status among smokers and non-smokers : relation to oxidative stress

Abstract EN

Objective To assess zinc status in cigarette smokers and to ascertain the relationship between the levels of serum zinc and oxidative stress.

Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out at Azadi Teaching Hospital, Duhok, Iraq, from December 2007 to June 2008.The study included 254 apparently healthy males(127 smokers and 127 non-smokers, aged 20-61 years), .Exclusion criteria were: a)minerals supplements, b)medication, c) recent or chronic infections.

All the participants were invited for medical health examination.

Data were collected from subjects according to self-administered questionnaire.

Several biochemical parameters were estimated such as, serum zinc, serum antioxidant markers (ceruloplasmin and total glutathione), serum pro-oxidant by-products (malondialdehyde and peroxynitrite), and dietary zinc intake.

Results The percent of marginal zinc deficiency in smokers was significantly higher than that of non-smokers (50.1% Vs 42.6%, p<0.05).

Smokers had significantly higher malondialdehyde (1.6+0.5 nmol/L) and peroxynitrite (1.7+0.34 mmol/L) serum levels than that of non-smokers (1.2+0.1 nmol/L and 1.4+0.32 mmol/L respectively,(p<0.05) for both parameters.

Serum zinc, ceruloplasmin, and total glutathione levels, were not significantly differed between the two groups, whereas the percent of abnormally high levels of oxidative stress markers were significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers(p<0.01).

In respect to dietary zinc intake for smokers and non-smokers, no significant difference was found in daily dietary zinc intake for both groups (p=0.45).

Conclusion This study demonstrated that cigarette smoking is associated with marginal hypozincemia which may render smokers more susceptible to oxidative stress.