The relationship between keratoconus and serum levels of zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B12, and vitamin D

Session Details

Session Title: Presented Poster Session: Medical Cornea

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 3

First Author: : N.Duru TURKEY

Co Author(s): :    H. Altinkaynak                       

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To investigate serum levels of zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), vitamin B12, and vitamin D in patients with keratoconus (KC) compared to age-matched healthy controls.

Setting:

Departments of Ophthalmology, Mardin Midyat State Hospital, Mardin, Turkey and Department of Ophthalmology, Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey

Methods:

A total of 62 KC patients and 62 age-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. The keratoconus diagnosis was defined by clinical examination (slit-lamp biomicroscopy signs such as Fleisher ring, corneal thinning, Vogt striae, and enlarged corneal nerves, scissoring reflex on retinoscopy and characteristic external clinical findings such as Rizzuti and Munson signs) and confirmed by Pentacam HR (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany). Plasma Zn, Mg, Fe, Cu, vitamin B12, and vitamin D was calculated. Plasma levels of Zn, Mg, Fe, Cu, vitamin B12, and vitamin D were compared between the groups.

Results:

KC patients had significantly lower levels of Cu (82±11.8 mg/dL vs. 119±19.5 mg/dL, p < 0.001), Zn (59.9±7.5 μmol/L vs. 88,1±12.2 μmol/L, p = 0.002) compared to controls. The levels of  Mg, Fe, vitamin B12, and vitamin D were not statistically different between the groups. (respectively; Mg, 1,99±0.1 mg/dl vs. 2.05±0.2 mg/dl, p = 0.448; Fe, 93.1±29.3 μg/dL vs. 95.6±30.1 μg/dL, p = 0.67; vitamin B12, 450±102 pg/ml vs. 402±105 pg/ml, p = 0.456; vitamin D, 23.82±14.26 ng/mL vs. 22.82±13.27 ng/mL, p = 0.20).

Conclusions:

The levels of Zn and Cu were significantly lower statistically in patients with KC when compared with healthy controls. Antioxidant balance deterioration has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of KC. Low levels of trace elements such as Cu and Zn, which are important in antioxidant equilibrium, may indicate that these elements play an important role in the pathogenesis of KC. Therefore, strategies can be developed in the diagnosis and treatment of KC for these trace elements. Future large-scale studies are needed in order to evaluate the interaction between Cu, Zn metabolism and KC.

Financial Disclosure:

None