Table 2.
Serum, hair, and urinary trace element and mineral levels in normal weight and obese subjects.
| Element | Control (n = 40) | Obese (n = 40) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serum | |||
| Ca, µg/mL | 101.8 (97.9–106.6) | 74.2 (70.7–78.6) | <0.001 * |
| Cu, µg/mL | 1.136 (0.938–1.315) | 1.170 (1.07–1.290) | 0.018 * |
| Fe, µg/mL | 1.243 (0.923–1.505) | 0.910 (0.736–1.150) | 0.001 * |
| Mg, µg/mL | 22.7 (21.3–23.3) | 19.5 (17.9–20.7) | <0.001 * |
| Se, µg/mL | 0.106 (0.096–0.116) | 0.067 (0.061–0.078) | <0.001 * |
| V, ng/mL | 5.316 (4.412–5.766) | 3.1 (2.7–3.2) | <0.001 * |
| Zn, µg/mL | 0.88 (0.805–0.947) | 0.814 (0.762–0.87) | 0.001 * |
| Hair | |||
| Ca, µg/g | 1406.3 (773.6–2755.9) | 1738 (650–2929) | 0.699 |
| Cu, µg/g | 14.456 (10.705–25.87) | 13.5 (12.03–18.57) | 0.936 |
| Fe, µg/g | 14.381 (9.183–24.417) | 9.3 (6.75–13.58) | 0.008 * |
| Mg, µg/g | 152.3 (67.3–265.5) | 89.7 (53.4–154) | 0.017 * |
| Se, µg/g | 0.391 (0.331–0.461) | 0.332 (0.278–0.42) | 0.074 |
| V, µg/g | 0.014 (0.01–0.034) | 0.007 (0.004–0.011) | <0.001 * |
| Zn, µg/g | 198.7 (160.3–227.5) | 160 (132–188) | 0.062 |
| Urine | |||
| Ca, µg/mL | 97.7 (53.5–154.5) | 96.2 (46.3–157) | 0.932 |
| Cu, µg/mL | 0.011 (0.008–0.017) | 0.011 (0.008–0.016) | 0.808 |
| Fe, µg/mL | 0.022 (0.015–0.041) | 0.046 (0.018–0.213) | 0.012 * |
| Mg, µg/mL | 77.7 (50.7–128.8) | 67.7 (47.7–98.3) | 0.142 |
| Se, µg/mL | 0.026 (0.015–0.041) | 0.018 (0.01–0.026) | 0.016 * |
| V, ng/mL | 0.068 (0.041–0.157) | 0.040 (0.005–0.09) | 0.006 * |
| Zn, µg/mL | 0.284 (0.183–0.465) | 0.282 (0.177–0.431) | 0.400 |
Data expressed as Median and the respective IQR boundaries; *—significant group difference at p < 0.05 according to ANCOVA with Bonferroni adjustment.