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Quantitative Evaluation of Heavy Metals and Trace Elements in the Urinary Bladder: Comparison Between Cancerous, Adjacent Non-cancerous and Normal Cadaveric Tissue

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Abstract

The role of heavy metals and trace elements (HMTE) in the development of some cancers has been previously reported. Bladder carcinoma is a frequent malignancy of the urinary tract. The most common risk factors for bladder cancer are exposure to industrial carcinogens, cigarette smoking, gender, and possibly diet. The aim of this study was to evaluate HTME concentrations in the cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous tissues and compare them with those of normal cadaveric bladder. This prospective study included 102 paired samples of full-thickness cancer and adjacent non-cancerous bladder tissues of radical cystectomy (RC) specimens that were histologically proven as invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). We used 17 matched controls of non-malignant bladder tissue samples from cadavers. All samples were processed and evaluated for the concentration of 22 HMTE by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Outcome analysis was made by the Mann-Whitney U, chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and Wilcoxon signed ranks tests. When compared with cadaveric control or cancerous, the adjacent non-cancerous tissue had higher levels of six elements (arsenic, lead, selenium, strontium, zinc, and aluminum), and when compared with the control alone, it had a higher concentration of calcium, cadmium, chromium, potassium, magnesium, and nickel. The cancerous tissue had a higher concentration of cadmium, lead, chromium, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, nickel, selenium, strontium, and zinc than cadaveric control. Boron level was higher in cadaveric control than cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous tissue. Cadmium level was higher in cancerous tissue with node-positive than node-negative cases. The high concentrations of cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel, and zinc, in the cancerous together with arsenic in the adjacent non-cancerous tissues of RC specimens suggest a pathogenic role of these elements in BC. However, further work-up is needed to support this conclusion by the application of these HMTE on BC cell lines.

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Abbreviations

HTME:

Heavy metals and trace elements

UC:

Urothelial carcinoma

SCC:

Squamous cell carcinoma

ICP-OES:

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

RC:

Radical cystectomy

BC:

Bladder cancer

MIBC:

Muscle invasive bladder cancer

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Emirates International Hospital (M A-G), Al Jimi, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Mahmoud Abdel-Gawad

  2. Department of Urology, Al-Noor Hospital (EE), Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Emad Elsobky

  3. Assiut Urology and Nephrology Hospital (MMS), Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

    Mahmoud M. Shalaby

  4. Urology and Nephrology Center (M A-E, M A-R, BA), Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Mohamed Abd-Elhameed, Mona Abdel-Rahim & Bedeir Ali-El-Dein

Authors
  1. Mahmoud Abdel-Gawad
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  2. Emad Elsobky
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  3. Mahmoud M. Shalaby
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  4. Mohamed Abd-Elhameed
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  5. Mona Abdel-Rahim
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  6. Bedeir Ali-El-Dein
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahmoud Abdel-Gawad.

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No funding was involved in this study.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Abdel-Gawad, M., Elsobky, E., Shalaby, M.M. et al. Quantitative Evaluation of Heavy Metals and Trace Elements in the Urinary Bladder: Comparison Between Cancerous, Adjacent Non-cancerous and Normal Cadaveric Tissue. Biol Trace Elem Res 174, 280–286 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0724-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0724-1

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