Isla Harper
In the Wellington region of New Zealand, a stratified random sample of men were taken from a larger community prostate study group of 1405 eligible subjects from three ethnic groups in order to examine ethnic differences in cadmium, selenium, and zinc exposure, as well as possible associations of blood levels of Cd, Se, and Zn with the prevalence of elevated serum Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), a marker of prostate cancer. Diet, profession, and smoking were found to expose Maori and Pacific Island males to more Cd than New Zealand European men. However, there was no significant difference in mean blood Cd levels between ethnic groups. Men from the Pacific Islands exhibited much higher amounts of Se in their blood than both European and Maori men from New Zealand. Maori men exhibited much higher blood Zn levels than New Zealand European men and men from the Pacific Islands. Blood Cd and total serum PSA were found to have a favourable relationship. PSA levels were not linked to selenium or zinc levels. Prostate cancer mortality rates are greater among Maori and Pacific Island men than in New Zealand European males. Variations in disease progression rates, which are impacted by trace element exposure and/or deficiency, could contribute to ethnic differences in mortality. The findings, however, did not show a consistent ethnic pattern, highlighting the intricacy of the risk/protective mechanisms given by exposure factors. To determine if the relationships found between Cd and PSA levels are biologically significant or merely things to consider, more research is needed.