Concentrations of some trace elements (Se, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mg, K) in blood and heart tissue of patients with coronary heart disease.

We measured Se, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mg, and K in blood and heart tissue of patients with coronary heart disease. Such patients have subnormal selenium concentrations in serum, whole blood, and (calculated per gram of hemoglobin) erythrocytes. Concentrations of zinc and copper in serum were also subnormal in these patients. Heart tissue collected from these patients during bypass surgery was analyzed for Se, Zn, Fe, Cu, Mg, and K; results are expressed in terms of wet weight and in relation to nitrogen and phosphorus content. Concentrations of these elements in blood are correlated with those in heart tissue. Selenium concentrations in serum correlated positively with those in tissue but not with those in erythrocytes. We found no association between concentrations of zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, and potassium in serum and the corresponding concentrations in heart tissue. There was a moderately positive correlation between the concentration of ferritin in serum and that of iron in tissue. We conclude that the turnover rate for selenium in tissue is similar to that in serum but greater than that for erythrocyte selenium. The concentrations of these six elements in heart tissue are partly correlated with the ejection fraction of the left ventricle.