Background: The blood serum levels of Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) in malignant cancers has been the subject of a multitude of investigations. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a form of leukemia characterized by the increased and unregulated growth of predominantly myeloid cells in the bone marrow and the accumulation of these cells in the blood.

Materials and Methods: To evaluate the effect of some trace elements (Zn and Cu) on leukemia etiology and diagnosis, the atomic absorption spectrometry was used to estimate the concentrations of the trace elements in 96 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and 100 controls. The newly diagnosed patients were selected from the different hospitals in Tehran province between February 2010 and August 2011.

Results: There was a significant difference in the mean concentration of Zn between the case and control groups (P<0.001), while no significant difference was seen in the mean concentration of Cu between the two groups (P>0.05). Zinc level in leukemia cases (53.19 ±20.15 μg/dL) was lower compared to the controls ( 101 .17± 35.08 μg/dl). Moreover, women had lower serum zinc levels than Men (P<0.01).

Conclusion: Trace elements were involved in the protection against oxidative stress in cells. Oxidation can lead to the formation of free radicals that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of leukemia.