微量元素在生理弁鄐W扮演極為重要角色，包括：穩定劑、結構的成分、參與荷爾蒙的弁鄍H及輔因子。一旦微量元素失去平衡，細胞的弁鈺N會受損，引起一系列的代謝異常，甚至於有致病的危險。癌症是細胞內的去氧核醣核酸（DNA）構造發生變化或損傷，而將細胞導向過度進行細胞分裂、增殖，進而出現腫塊。引起細胞內DNA異常的原因除了化學致癌物質（chemical carcinoma）、放射線（radiation）、與致癌病毒（oncogenic virus）被認為是最重要的因素之外，近數十年來也發現癌症與微量元素之間有相關性存在，例如：缺碘時，可引起單純性甲狀腺腫，有的可轉化為甲狀腺腫瘤。
在台灣，根據衛生署統計的國人十大死因，癌症已連續13年蟬聯冠軍，其中膀胱癌的發病率也逐漸增加。人體經由代謝後所產生的各種癈物需要靠泌尿系統來處理，膀胱即是人體泌尿系統中儲存尿液的臟器。本研究即是利用原子吸收光譜儀檢測膀胱癌病患與正常健康人的尿液內微量元素差異，結果顯示：銅、鋅、硒、鉛、砷在尿液中的含量，膀胱癌病患皆高於健康正常人，特別是鋅與硒較有顯著差異（P<0.05）。若將膀胱癌病患的尿液中鋅/硒比值（Zn/Se ratio）做一比較，可發現在早期膀胱癌的鋅/硒比值（138.96）遠低於末期膀胱癌的鋅/硒比值（434.92），而且隨著癌化的程度，尿液中鋅/硒比值亦有遞增的現象。同時，鋅的濃度表現在侵犯型（Invasive）的膀胱癌病患高於表淺型（Superficial）與健康成年人。而硒的濃度表現與鋅不同，在癌化程度低的表淺型膀胱癌，尿液中硒的濃度高於侵犯型與健康成年人。這些結果顯示，鋅與硒皆與腫瘤細胞的生長有關。
在細胞存活率分析試驗細胞移動能力試驗中，得知一旦培養基中添加超過1000 ppb的葡萄糖鋅（Zinc gluconate）或12 ppb的硒酸鈉（Sodium selenate），表淺型膀胱癌細胞（TSGH 8301 Cells）之存活率即小於50％，而在侵犯型膀胱癌細胞（TCC sup cells）若要使細胞之存活率小於50％則須在培養基中添加超過10000 ppb的葡萄糖鋅或100 ppb的硒酸鈉。
細胞移動能力試驗中的結果顯示，添加葡萄糖鋅（60 ppb）與硒酸鈉（3 ppb）時，在24小時以內皆能抑制TSGH 8301 cells與TCC sup cells的移動能力。而在西方墨點法的分析結果，添加葡萄糖鋅與硒酸鈉的TSGH 8301 cells與TCC sup cells其MMP-9的表現量會隨著時間增加而減少。藉由流式細胞儀的分析，顯示表淺型膀胱癌藉由葡萄糖鋅或硒酸鈉的補充可提高細胞凋亡的能力，故以補充微量元素為膀胱癌的治療方向，應在較早期膀胱癌進行可看到最大效益。 The role of trace elements in physiologic functions including: stabilizer, elements of structure, essential elements for hormonal function, and cofactors in enzymes. If these trace elements are out of balance, cells will damage and cause diseases. The unregulated growth that characterizes cancer is caused by damage to DNA, resulting in mutations to genes that encode for proteins controlling cell division. These mutations can be caused by chemicals, radiation or oncogenic virus that causes cancer, which are called carcinogens. The recent 10 years to discover the trace elements are relate to cancer such as iodine and thyrophyma.
In Taiwan, cancer is the top 1 death reason and the incidence of bladder cancer increase gradually. In this study, detection of trace elements namely copper, zinc, selenium, arsenic, and lead in urine of bladder cancer patients and healthy adults using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer (GFAAS). Findings the concentration of zinc and selenium in urine for bladder cancer patients were higher than for healthy adults (P<0.05). Because the ratio of zinc/selenium (138.96<434.92) at superficial bladder cancer is lower than invasive bladder cancer that urinary zinc/selenium ratio will contribute one method to bladder cancer early detection. The urinary zinc concentrations in invasive bladder cancer patients are higher than superficial bladder cancer patients and healthy adults, but urinary selenium concentration in superficial bladder cancer patients are higher than invasive bladder cancer patients and healthy adults. This data shows that zinc and selenium are relationship with bladder cancer cells growth.
In vitro, supply zinc gluconate(>1000 ppb) and sodium selenate(>10 ppb) to culture medium were influence cells survival rate (<50％) by MTT assay. The results of cell migration assay show that supply zinc gluconate(60 ppb) and sodium selenate(3 ppb) to culture medium were inhibit cell migration within 24 hours. And the MMP-9 levels were decrease with time increase by western blotting. Supply zinc gluconate or sodium selenate to TSGH 8301 cells were increase cell apoptosis and detected by flow cytometry. Trace elements therapy use in superficial bladder cancer patients better than invasive bladder cancer patients, yet the feasibility trace elements therapy need to test and verify by clinical study.
