Abstract
Abstract Objectives Calculation of biological variation (BV) components is very important in evaluating whether a test result is clinically significant. The aim of this study is to analyze BV components for copper, zinc and selenium in a cohort of healthy Turkish participants. Methods A total of 10 serum samples were collected from each of the 15 healthy individuals (nine female, six male), once a week, during 10 weeks. Copper, zinc and selenium levels were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometer. BV parameters were calculated with the approach suggested by Fraser. Results Analytical variation (CVA), within-subject BV (CVI), between-subject BV (CVG) values were 8.4, 7.1 and 4.3 for copper; 4.2, 9.1 and 13.7 for zinc; 7.6, 2.5 and 6.9 for selenium, respectively. Reference change values (RCV) were 30.46, 27.56 and 22.16% for copper, zinc and selenium, respectively. The index of individuality (II) values were 1.65, 0.66 and 0.36 for copper, zinc and selenium, respectively. Conclusions According to the results of this study, traditional reference intervals can be used for copper but we do not recommend using it for zinc and selenium. We think that it would be more accurate to use RCV value for zinc and selenium in terms of following significant changes in recurrent results of a patient.
Highlights
Trace elements are minerals that make up less than 0.01% of the total body weight, which must be taken with diet to maintain health as well as maintaining the continuity of physiological events such as growth and development [1, 2]
According to the results of this study, traditional reference intervals can be used for copper but we do not recommend using it for zinc and selenium
There were no outliers for zinc and selenium
Summary
Trace elements are minerals that make up less than 0.01% of the total body weight, which must be taken with diet to maintain health as well as maintaining the continuity of physiological events such as growth and development [1, 2]. Trace elements such as copper, zinc and selenium act as a cofactor for many vital enzymes, enabling the conversion of substrates to specific products. As a result of inadequate intake, metabolic functions are impaired and the incidence of chronic diseases increases, the recovery time of diseases prolong and early deaths occur. Excessive intake of trace elements causes toxic symptoms and damage to various organs, especially the liver [6,7,8]
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