Elemental content of erythrocytes from patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery using PIXE analysis

Summary This on-going study was conducted on erythrocytes to further establish the content of elements of blood fractions from patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery. As the quality and quantity of elements in these samples were unknown, proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis was chosen for its multi-elemental analysis capabilities on small mass samples. Previous work demonstrated the detection of several elements using PIXE analysis and that the elemental concentrations of S, Cl, Ca and Fe were worthy of note. It is indicated that continuing analysis of these cell fractions may be significant in the study of trace element metabolism as it provides insight into understanding mechanisms for preventative, diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and hence a patient's state of health. The analysis of erythrocytes was conducted at pre, during and post-operative timepoints to investigate the changes that occur during and post-surgical intervention. Elements Na, Mg, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb were detected in erythrocytes at all surgery timepoints and from normalized graphs, elements S, K and Fe revealed that the changes in concentration through surgery followed an almost identical pattern. It is anticipated that statistical correlation and interpretation of data may provide, in the long-term, information that could have an impact on the patients' rate of recovery or appropriate aftercare.     

Investigation of elemental models in senile dementia and depressives using neutron activation analysis

Instrumental neutron activation analysis has been used to determine the concentration of a range of elements in hair and blood samples, separated into erythrocytes and plasma, obtained from two groups of women, senile demented (9) and depressives (16), and their respective controls (17 and 9). The results suggest that the senile dementia group has significantly higher Al concentrations in erythrocytes and hair relative to the controls but no significant correlation between the aluminium content of hair and that of blood exists. Further, Zn concentrations determined in the erythrocytes and plasma of these subjects were lower compared to the control values. Vanadium levels above our detection limit for the element were found in seven cases out of a total of sixteen in the depressive group. Vanadium was also found to be at higher concentration in the hair of the depressive group compared to the controls. Again no significant correlation was found to exist between the concentration of vanadium in hair and in erythrocyte sample for these seven subjects.     

INAA and PIXE study on the complex modifications of human blood serum mineral composition in several hemopathies

The potential of the INAA and PIXE methods for the detection of mineral microelement changes in pathological human blood serum has been evaluated on nine cases of different hemopathies. These included hereditary hemolytic anemias (thalassemia, sickle cell disease, spherocytosis) and Hodgkin's disease. 23 elements (Na, Al, Cl, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, Ag, Sb, Cs, Ba, Au, Hg, Pb) have been detected in serum. Their relative concentration variations correlated with the nature of the disease and with other pathological alterations of blood are discussed.     

Elemental composition of erythrocytes from coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients with and without type II diabetes mellitus using PIXE analysis

Summary A study was conducted on erythrocytes in order to determine the composition and concentration of elements from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery with and without type II diabetes. Samples were taken at various timeperiods and analyzed by means of proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis. Elements detected reliably were P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb. In particular, elements worthy of note are S, Cl and Ca, which have strong implications in surgical procedures and aftercare.     

Determination of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in blood fractions and whole blood of humans by ICP-OES

Inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was applied to the determination of the elements Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in blood plasma, erythrocytes, lymphocytes, and whole blood to obtain reliable data on their distribution in blood fractions. The samples were carefully collected to avoid contamination. Two different nebulizers (Babington and Meinhard) were tested and optimized for this analytical problem. Line selections for all elements of interest were performed (LODs were 0.8 μg/L for Ca, 1.7 μg/L for Cu, 3.0 μg/L for Fe, 1.1 μg/L for Mg, and 4.2 μg/L for Zn). Recoveries were determined as approx. 100%, and standard reference material was analyzed to obtain reliable data on element distribution. The optimized method was applied to the determination of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in the course of a clinical study on blood and blood fractions of two groups of humans of differing health. The concentrations measured in blood fractions were verified by balancing with the values found in whole blood.     

Cognitive impairment related changes in the elemental concentration in the brain of old rat

In order to evaluate the elemental concentration as a function of learning and memory deficiency, six different structures of the brain were analyzed by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry with synchrotron radiation (SR-TXRF). To evaluate the cognitive processes, the animals were tested in an adaptation of the Morris water maze. After the test, the animals were divided into two groups: cognitively healthy (control group) and cognitively impaired. The measurements were carried out at XRF beam line at Light Synchrotron Brazilian laboratory, Campinas, Brazil. The following elements were identified: Al, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb. K concentration was higher in all regions of the brain studied for control group than the cognitively impaired group. Moreover, the control group presented higher levels for P and Fe in the entorhinal cortex, in the temporal cortex (only P), in the hypothalamus and in the thalamus, than the cognitively impaired group. Br concentration in the animals which presented cognitive impairment was three times larger in the hypothalamus and thalamus, twice larger in temporal cortex and higher in visual cortex than the cognitively healthy group. Cu was more remarkable in the hippocampus and hypothalamus from the animals with cognitive impairment than the control group.We observed that the cognitively impaired group presented highest concentrations of Br and Cu in certain areas than the control group, on the other hand, this group presented highest levels of K for all brain areas studied.     

Elemental composition of hair and bone density measurements at diagnosis in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease

A dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) system has been employed to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) at diagnosis. The results of the study indicate that even at diagnosis, a significantly reduced bone mineral density measured in terms of the Z-score, was observed in the lumbar spine and whole body of the IBD subjects. This was found to be more pronounced in Crohn's disease than in the ulcerative colitis subjects. Furthermore, the study was extended to investigate the elemental composition of hair of IBD subjects and age matched controls using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The concentrations of 11 elements; Al, Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, I, K, Mg, Mn, Na and V were determined. A significantly reduced concentration of Ca, Cu, K, Mn, and V were observed in the hair of IBD subjects as compared to the control group. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn in blood fractions by SEC-HPLC-ICP-AES coupling

The binding of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn to proteins in blood and in blood fractions was investigated, since their interactions in free radical metabolism in humans is of great interest. An HPLC-ICP-AES technique was developed allowing adequate separation of metalloproteins and of inorganic and organic metal species. For the separation of metalloproteins in erythrocytes and blood plasma a Merck Superformance Fractogel EMD BioSEC 650 (S) column was used. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-HPLC was hyphenated to ICP-AES both on-line and off-line for the detection of trace elements in the fractions resulting from HPLC separations. HPLC parameters, pH, temperature, flow rate and salt concentration were optimized for the protein separation and the optimal conditions were applied for the hyphenation to the ICP-AES detector. The separation column was calibrated with five standard proteins. For the element determination by ICP-AES a line selection with respect to the sensitivity was performed. Three different methods were used for the determination of trace elements in blood: direct determinations, on-line and off-line SEC-HPLC-ICP-AES measurements. For the optimizing experiments blood samples of one female subject were used. The direct determination by ICP-AES of the elements was performed in blood and blood fractions of ten different subjects to obtain the average concentration ranges. From the results the identification of the protein Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in erythrocytes was possible. The LOD were 0.03 microgram mL-1 for Cu, 0.026 microgram mL-1 for Fe, 0.8 ng mL-1 for Mn, and 0.09 microgram mL-1 for Zn in a synthetic blood matrix.     

Determination of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in blood fractions and whole blood of humans by ICP-OES

Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was applied to the determination of the elements Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in blood plasma, erythrocytes, lymphocytes, and whole blood to obtain reliable data on their distribution in blood fractions. The samples were carefully collected to avoid contamination. Two different nebulizers (Babington and Meinhard) were tested and optimized for this analytical problem. Line selections for all elements of interest were performed (LODs were 0.8 microg/L for Ca, 1.7 microg/L for Cu, 3.0 microg/L for Fe, 1.1 microg/L for Mg, and 4.2 microg/L for Zn). Recoveries were determined as approx. 100%, and standard reference material was analyzed to obtain reliable data on element distribution. The optimized method was applied to the determination of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in the course of a clinical study on blood and blood fractions of two groups of humans of differing health. The concentrations measured in blood fractions were verified by balancing with the values found in whole blood.     

PIXE eleemental analysis of erythrocyte and blood plasma samples from human pregnancies

Elemental concentrations of P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb have been determined in erythrocyte and blood plasma samples from normal and diabetic human pregnancies. Average values, the dependence of the concentrations on the time during gestation period, the correlation coefficients for pairs of elements as well as for the same elements in plasma and erythrocyte samples are given. A marked difference appeared in a number of cases between normal and diabetic pregancies.     

Study of the Nutritional Status of Maternal Breast Milk in Preterm Infants in Nigeria

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis were used to determine the concentration of 13 elements in the breast milk collected within the first week of lactation and after morning feed from 16 pre-term mothers and 20 term mothers. The results of the study show that pre-term milk has a significantly higher concentration of Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and Zn while term mothers have a significantly higher concentration of P and Br. No significant differences were, however, found in the mean concentration of Al, Ca, I and Rb. Furthermore, the mean concentration for most of the elements found in the breast milk fall within the range of the concentrations obtained for the commercial infant milk formulae.     

Trace and major elements in serum of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

Summary Major and trace elements were determined in serum of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) using total reflection X-ray fluorescence induced by synchrotron radiation (SRTXRF). CML affects 1 to 2 people per 100,000 and accounts for 7-20% cases of leukemia. It was possible to determine the concentrations of the following elements: P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA) it was observed that the contents of the P, S, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu and Rb elements differed significantly at a = 0.05 between groups of healthy subjects and CML patients and also genders (males and females).     

Analysis of elements in human blood of patients with chronic kidney disease using neutron activation analysis

Neutron activation analysis has been used to determine Br, Ca, Cl, K, Mg and Na concentrations in whole blood of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) as well as in whole blood of normal individuals (control group). The dependence of the elements concentration in function of sex, age, time and type of treatment were investigated. The similarities and differences between healthy individuals and CKD are discussed.     

Major-to-ultratrace elements in bone-marrow fluid as determined by ICP-AES and ICP-MS.

The major-to-ultratrace elements in human bone-marrow fluid were determined by ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry), and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). The bone-marrow fluid sample was centrifuged prior to acid digestion to exclude the bone piece from bone marrow, and then digested with nitric acid. As a result, 20 elements could be determined over the concentration range from 1610 microg g(-1) for Na to 0.00043 microg g(-1) for W. It was found that Fe, Zn and Sb were enriched by ca. 264-, 7- and 15-fold, respectively, in bone-marrow fluid, compared to those in human blood serum. Alkali metals (K, Rb, Cs), except for Na, were also significantly enriched in bone-marrow fluid. Furthermore, the concentrations of various elements, such as Fe, P, Al, Zn, Cu, Se, Zr, Sn, Ag and W, were significantly higher than those in open seawater.     

Quality control in large sample analysis

To investigate the effects of lanthanum exposure on regional distribution of inorganic elements in rat brain. Wistar rats were exposed to lanthanum chloride through oral administration at 0, 0.1, 2, and 40 mg/kg concentration for 6 months. The elements such as Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn were identified in the brain slices by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) analysis. Differences of brain elemental distributions were noticed. Cl, Ca, and Zn were primarily concentrated in hippocampus of the controls. With the increase of the lanthanum dosage, the Ca and Zn levels significantly decreased, while the Cu levels significantly elevated in cortex, hippocampus and thalamus. Our results suggest that subchronic lanthanum exposure in rats appears to change elemental distributions in brain.     

Trace element content in relation to the body weight of the marine bivalve,Anadara granosa with special reference to the application of INAA and ICP-AES as analytical techniques

Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) spectrometry were used to determine the concentration of trace metals in marine bivalveAnadara granosa. A total of 11 elements: Mg, Cl, Mn, K, Se, Br, Zn, Co, Fe, Rb, Cd and Cu were detected. Analyses were performed to examine the relationship between metal concentration and body weight. Results from both techniques show linear relationship between total metal concentration and body weight.     

Changes in the elemental content of blood components by selenium supplement in humans

A study was undertaken to determine the concentration of selenium in whole blood, erythrocytes and plasma in samples obtained from three groups (each group consisting of one male and one female subject) given as a supplement a commercial product containing the element, together with vitamins A, C and E. Blood samples were obtained on one-day-a-week basis from each group, over a period of 75 days, both in the morning and in the afternoon, as part of a gastric function investigation, in which the subjects were given orange juice after fasting. Results indicate that the level of selenium in whole blood and its components increases with dose and time and that concentrations of the element are maintained for at least 45 days following cessation of supplementation. The influence of the supplement on some electrolytes such as Na, Cl, Br and Rb was also investigated.     

Variations in trace element concentrations in breast milk with stages of lactation

The influence of stages of lactation on the mineral and trace elementconcentrations of breast milk collected from 20 healthy lactating women ina Nigeria population was investigated using instrumental neutron activationanalysis (INAA) and proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis. The breastmilk samples were divided into colostrum (day 1–5), transitional (day6–13) and mature milk (day 14–28). The result of the study showthat colostrum milk has a significantly higher mean concentration of Ca, Cl,Cu, Fe, Mg, Na and Zn than the transitional and mature milk. Furthermore,the mean concentrations of Fe, Mg, Na and Zn in transitional milk were foundto be significantly higher when compared with the mature milk. It was alsoobserved from the semi-log plot of the concentration of the elements againstdays of lactation that the concentration of all the elements decreased significantlythroughout the lactation period studied with Cu, Fe and Zn concentration showingthe greatest decline, particularly in the early stages of lactation.     

Mineral elements and essential trace elements in blood of seals of the North Sea measured by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis

Mineral and essential trace elements are involved in numerous physiological processes in mammals. Often, diseases are associated with an imbalance of the electrolyte homeostasis. In this study, the concentrations of mineral elements (P, S, K, Ca) and essential trace elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr) in whole blood of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) were determined using total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF). Samples from 81 free-ranging harbor seals from the North Sea and two captive seals were collected during 2003–2005.Reference ranges and element correlations for health status determination were derived for P, S, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn level in whole blood. Grouping the seals by age, gender and sample location the concentration levels of the elements were compared.The blood from two captive seals with signs of diseases and four free-ranging seals showed reduced element levels of P, S, and Ca and differences in element correlation of electrolytes were ascertained.Thus, simultaneous measurements of several elements in only 500 μL volumes of whole blood provide the possibility to obtain information on both, the electrolyte balance and the hydration status of the seals. The method could therefore serve as an additional biomonitoring tool for the health assessment.     

Multi-element analysis of blood for trace metals by neutron activation analysis

Fourteen elements can be rapidly determined in whole blood by the neutron activation analysis procedure described. Three of these (Ag, Cl, Se) are measured after a 10-s irradiation and eleven others (Al, Ba, Br, Ca, Cu, I, Mg, Mn, Mo, Rb, V) are determined by a 180-s irradiation of a 1-cm³ sample of whole blood after destruction of organic matter and removal of sodium by hydrated antimony pentoxide. A further 13 elements (As, Au, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Hg, K, Na, Ni, Sb, Sc, Zn) are determined after overnight irradiation in the SLOWPOKE reactor.