ArticleJournal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)2022
Selenium and mercury concentrations in biological samples from patients with COVID-19.
Article in Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Selenium serum levels in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of nutritional science · 2023Pooled it
- Binding of Hg(I) and Hg(II) Ions to Amyloid-Beta (Aβ) Peptide Variants Affect their Structure and Aggregation.Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology · 2025Article
- A Narrative Review of Metallomic Studies: Revealing the Toxic Metal Burden in Tobacco Smokers.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Trace element imbalances in selenium and mercury in relation to mammographic density and breast cancer progression: a case‒control study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Determination of Electrolytes and Trace Elements in Biological Samples from Patients with Altered Semen Parameters: a Correlational Analysis.Biological trace element research · 2025Article
- Determination of Toxic Elements in Cannabinoid and Opioid Drugs and Their Impact on Addicts' Health: A Comparative Study.Biological trace element research · 2024Article
- Serum and Seminal Plasma Levels of Lead and Arsenic in Cigarette Smokers and Their Relation to the Semen Parameters.Biological trace element research · 2024Article
- Pathophysiology of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Sepsis: A Clinically Focused Overview.Cells · 2023Review
- The concentrations of essential/toxic elements in serum of COVID-19 patients are not directly related to the severity of the disease.Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 2023Article
- Could Selenium Supplementation Prevent COVID-19? A Comprehensive Review of Available Studies.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- The different faces of inorganic elements in SARS-CoV-2 infection.Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS) · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a systemic disease affecting multiple organs. Furthermore, viral infection depletes several trace elements and promotes complex biochemical reactions in the body. Smoking has been linked to the incidence of COVID-19 and associated mortality, and it may impact clinical effects, viral and bacterial conversion, and treatment outcomes.
objectivesTo study the relationship between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 and the elemental concentrations of selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) in biological samples from smokers and nonsmokers infected with the virus and in healthy individuals.
methodWe evaluated changes in the concentrations of essential (Se) and toxic (Hg) elements in biological samples (blood, nasal fluid, saliva, sputum, serum, and scalp hair) collected from male smokers and nonsmokers (aged 29-59 years) infected with COVID-19 and from healthy men in the same age group. The patients lived in different cities in Sindh Province, Pakistan. The Se and Hg concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
resultsSe concentrations in all types of biological samples from smokers and nonsmokers with COVID-19 were lower than those of healthy smokers and nonsmokers. Hg concentrations were elevated in both smokers and nonsmokers with COVID-19.
conclusionsIn the current study, persons infected with COVID-19 had higher concentrations of toxic Hg, which could cause physiological disorders, and low concentrations of essential Se, which can also cause weakness. COVID-19 infection showed positive correlations with levels of mercury and selenium. Thus, additional clinical and experimental investigations are essential.
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