To investigate the influence of smoking, alcohol ingestion, and physical activity on copper and zinc in RBC and serum and serum ceruloplasmin, this study was performed in a cross-sectional study in 113 healthy men aged 20 to 40 years who had no symptomatic liver, heart, gastrointestinal, and other chronic diseases.

At the men's entry into the study, blood samples were drawn from each subject and immediately centrifuged for analysis of copper, zinc, iron, ceruloplasmin, total cholesterol, and hematocrit. Each man completed a questionnaire that provided information on smoking, amount of alcohol intake, and physical activity. Partial regres sion analysis was performed on confounding variables such as age, body mass index, hematocrit, serum cholesterol, and serum iron.

In general linear models, adjustment for confounding variables did not show statistical differences, and there was only an increasing tendency in serum copper in heavy smoker (P=0.0678). There was no difference between high physical activity with mild smokers and lower physical activfty with, heavy smokers.

This study suggested that copper, zinc and eeruloplasmin were not good biomarker for early effect by smoking, alcohol intake and physical activity in young adult. However, selection bias should be considered in evaluation of this result, and a large prospective study will be needed in advance on usefulness of copper, zinc and ceruloplasmin as a marker for risk factors and early change of atherosclerosis.