Clinical significance of the measurement of trace elements in the gastric mucosa and their oxides in patients with spleen diseases and gastric cancer

The gastric mucosa trace elements and oxides were investigated with X-ray energy disperse analysis system in 41 cases of gastric disease due to Spleen deficiency. The differences in the change of the quantity of Zn, Cu, ZnO and CuO were very significant (P less than 0.05-0.001) in the gastric mucosa between normal area and focal area, between Spleen Qi deficiency and Spleen deficiency with Qi stagnation, and between benign gastric disease and gastric cancer. The experiments showed that: (1) The trace elements in the organism form its own system, the values being within the relatively constant scope. (2) The ratios of Zn/ZnO and Cu/CuO reflected "the rate of effectual utility" of Zn and Cu. (3) There was a very close internal relation between Spleen deficiency with Qi stagnation and gastric cancer. (4) The quantitative changes of Zn, Cu, ZnO, CuO, Zn/ZnO and Cu/CuO were related to pathologic change and the TCM syndrome pattern, and is worthy of further research.