Levels of zinc, iron, and copper in patients with pseudoexfoliative cataract

To investigate the aqueous humor, lens, and serum concentrations of zinc, iron, and copper in patients with pseudoexfoliative cataract and compare with patients who have senile cataract without pseudoexfoliation. Twenty-five patients with pseudoexfoliative cataract and 25 patients with senile cataract as control group were enrolled in the study. Samples from aqueous humor, serum, and lens materials during extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) were collected from all patients. The levels of selected trace elements in three samples in all groups were assayed with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and statistical analyses were performed with t-test for independent samples except lens zinc and serum copper levels. The data weren't normally distributed, therefore Mann-Whitney U test applied for these parameters. The zinc and copper levels in aqueous humor of PEX group were significantly higher than those of control group (p