Jornal de Toxicologia Clínica
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Metal-Induced Oxidative Stress in Egyptian Women with Breast Cancer

Nazem Shams, Samy Bayoumi Said, Tarek Abdel Raouf Salem, Samar Hosny Abdou El-Shaheed, Sameh Roshdy and Rania Hamed Abdel Rahman

Some trace metals are toxic and claimed to be carcinogenic. The present work aimed to determine the levels of some trace metals in breast tissues (healthy and tumor specimens) and to evaluate their concentrations in relation to the oxidative stress status in breast cancer which is a major health problem among Egyptian women. This study included 127 female patients with breast swelling. Analysis of trace metals in breast tissue was done using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Lipid peroxidation and oxidative status were assessed. There were statistically high levels of iron, zinc and copper in the benign and malignant breast tissues in comparison to the control group. Higher Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were detected in patients with breast tumors while Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione peroxidase (GSH), Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and Nitric oxide (NO) were low in comparison to the healthy group. In conclusion, the alteration of the elemental content in cancerous breast tissues and the disruption of oxidant/antioxidant balance highlight the role of trace metals in cancer development.