Iron, copper and zinc levels in urine: relationship to various individual factors
Abstract
Urinary Fe, Cu and Zn levels were determined in healthy people from S/C de Tenerife. Males showed higher (p < 0.01) urinary levels (micrograms/L and microgram per day) of Zn than females. However, females had higher daily urinary Fe and Cu excretions per kg of body weight (p < 0.05) than males. Urinary metal concentration, expressed as mg metal per g CT, better reflects daily excretion. Urinary levels of Zn and Cu were within the reference values, but the urinary levels of Fe were lower than that in most of the published data. An increase in daily Fe, Cu and Zn excretion (micrograms per day) with age up to 30 years was observed. An increase with weight and height was also observed. Concentrations and excretions of Zn were significantly (p < 0.015) lower when the urinary pH was above 7. With respect to the frequency of consumption of rich protein food, rich fiber food, coffee, tobacco, or alcohol, only significantly (p = 0.015) higher Zn concentrations and higher (p = 0.091) excretions were found in people that consume alcohol more than 3 times a week. A significant depletion of urinary Zn and Cu concentration and Fe excretion was found in the subjects who usually did physical exercise. Positive intermetallic correlations among the concentrations and excretions of the metals investigated were observed.
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During UPEC infection, bacteria move from a relatively high-iron environment (about 10^-6 M in urine) to an intracellular iron-starvation environment.
“During this process, bacteria move from an environment with a relatively high-iron concentration (about 10 −6 M in the urine) to an intracellular, iron-starvation environment ( 12 , 34–36 ).”
From YdiV regulates Escherichia coli ferric uptake by manipulating the DNA-binding ability of Fur in a SlyD-dependent manner (2020) · cites this paper as [35]
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- Authors
- Rodríguez R., E., & Díaz R., C.
- Venue
- Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1995-12
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 200-209
- ISSN
- 0946-672X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2005035320
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.44
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Trace Elements in Health
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Hematology › Iron Metabolism and Disorders
- Keywords
- urinary iron, urinary copper, urinary zinc, trace element excretion, sex differences, age-related changes, height and weight, urine pH, alcohol consumption, physical activity, dietary protein, dietary fiber, healthy adults
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Body Height, Body Weight, Child, Child, Preschool, Copper, Evaluation Studies as Topic, Female, Humans, Iron, Life Style, Male, Middle Aged, Reference Values, Sex Characteristics, Spain, Zinc, Age Distribution
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