1 research outputs found
Plasma copper levels in ankylosing spondilitis patients with cardiovascular complications
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of copper in patients with ankylosing spondilitis (AS). Twenty-nine patients with AS were included in the study and the patients were divided into 2 groups. Group I included 14 patients with systemic hypertension and cardiac abnormalities, Group II consisted of 15 patients with normal cardiac findings. Serum copper levels in Group I patients, measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, were 55.0 ± 3.7 µg/dl (mean ± SD) compared with 94.2 ± 15.5 µg/dl in a group of matched control subjects. These results suggest that copper deficiency might be an important factor in the development of cardiovascular complications of AS