Abstract:
A prospective study conducted during the period December 2007 to
march 2008, compared serum levels of calcium, phosphate and alkaline
phosphatase activity of 50 apparently healthy cigarette smoker volunteers (as
a test group) and 30 apparently healthy volunteers (as a control group).All
were selected randomly from the University of Science and Technology in
Omdrman, Sudan.The test group and the control group, were matched in
term of age, socioeconomic status and sex (all were males).The serum levels
of calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase activity were measured
using A25 auto analyzer from Biosystem Company, Barcelona, Spain
.Serum calcium was significantly reduced, while serum phosphate and
alkaline phosphatase were significantly raised in the test group compared to
the control group. Mean ± SD for smokers versus controls:
(8.71 ± 0.32) versus (9.66 ± 0.51) mg/dl (P<0.05); for serum calcium.
(3.74 ± 0.52) versus (2.82 ± 0.38) mg/dl (P<0.05); for serum phosphate.
(109.04 ± 7.85) versus (96.06 ± 6.36) U/L (P<0.05); for serum alkaline phosphatase
activity.
In the test group, serum calcium was negatively correlated, while serum
phosphate and alkaline phosphatase activity were positively correlated with
both the duration of smoking (in years) and the number of cigarette smoked
per day.
From this study, it is concluded that; cigarette smoking is associated
with low serum calcium that correlates negatively with both; the duration of
smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. In addition, serum
phosphate and alkaline phosphatase are increased, and have a positive
correlation with both; the duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes
smoked per day.
