CONCENTRATION OF COPPER, ZINC, CHROMIUM, IRON AND NICKEL IN THE ABDOMINAL-AORTA OF PATIENTS DECEASED WITH CORONARY HEART-DISEASE

The Cu, Zn, Cr, Fe, and Ni concentrations from the atherosclerotic pla ques in the abdominal aorta obtained from 40 patients who died of coro nary heart disease (CHD) were measured. In 32 of them the clinical and anatomical diagnosis was ischemic heart disease (IHD) and in 8 of the m it was acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Concomitant determinations of the concentrations of the above trace elements were determined in 16 normal aortas from subjects who died in accidents or from causes ot her than atherosclerosis (C). The determinations were done by means of a Perkin-Elmer atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Model 300. The re sults are expressed in mg/kg of dried tissue. The Cu, Zn, and Cr conce ntrations were significantly lower (p < 0.01) in the atherosclerotic p laques of abdominal aorta of the deceased patients with IHD and AMI th an in the control group. Iron had the tendency to rise but not signifi cantly. The nickel level in the atherosclerotic plaques from abdominal aorta did not change significantly as compared to the controls. We at tribute the low values of copper in the atherosclerotic aortic tissue in Ii-ID and AMI to a shift of copper from aortic tissue into the bloo d. At present, there is no explanation for the low concentration of zi nc and chromium in atherosclerotic aortic tissue.