Posters

The association between advanced keratoconus and serum levels of zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and selenium

Poster Details

First Author: S.Bamdad IRAN

Co Author(s):    A. Bolkheir   N. Owji                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To investigate the likely association between serum levels of zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe) , copper (Cu) and selenium (Se) and advanced Keratoconus (KCN).

Setting:

The ophthalmology clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (referral eye clinics in south of Iran)

Methods:

In this study, 50 patients with advanced KCN and 50 age and sex-matched control subjects were included. Plasma levels of Zn, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Se were compared between the groups.

Results:

The mean±standard deviation (SD) age of the patients in the case and control groups were 29.36±3.50 and 28.94±5.97 years, respectively (P=0.669). Among serum parameters, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in serum levels of Ca, Mg, and Fe (P>0.05), while serum levels of Zn and Cu were significantly lower in the case group than the control group (65.92±7.90 vs87.36±13.64 µg/dl, and 78.48±11.96 vs116.34±20.87 µg/dl, respectively) (both P<0.001) as well as serum level of Se (79.76±19.16 vs87.41±15.91 µg/dl) (P=0.032).

Conclusions:

The lower serum levels of Zn, Cu, and Se in patients with advanced KCN compared with healthy subjects suggests the possible role of antioxidants in the etiopathogenesis of KCN that provides the initial step towards treatment of this progressive degenerative disease by supplementation therapy, rather than keratoplasty techniques.

Financial Disclosure:

None