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PubMed1997

[Trace elements, human nutrition and health].

The importance of trace elements as essential dietary constituents is not sufficiently appreciated by the medical profession, although in recent years a significant increase of new finding on their essential character in nutrition occurred as well as of data on changes in the composition of the diet which can cause their deficiency and in some instances a toxic excess. The diagnosis of deficiency or excess of these substances in the organism is very complicated. because their blood level frequently does not provide sufficient information on their reserves in the organism and new laboratory methods suited for this purpose must be developed and tested. The interpretation of the assembled results is very pretentious and it will be therefore necessary to expand teaching of nutrition, where the problem of trace elements no doubt belongs, into undergraduate and postgraduate medical curricula to prevent health damage due to inadequate intake of trace elements as well as uncontrolled intake of freely available preparations sold as supplements.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Influence of preanalytical factors on the atomic absorption spectrometry determination of trace elements in biological samples.

In the analysis of the concentration of trace elements in biological material there are many possible preanalytical sources of error. Precision and accuracy of trace element analyses are not so much determined by the analytical procedure--atomic absorption spectrometry--as by individual biological factors, contamination and loss of elements during sampling and sample preparation, influences resulting from the calibration procedure, or from the analytical equipment itself. Genetical factors like sex or race, ecological factors like age or pregnancy and short term factors like food intake, parenteral feeding or drug therapy can influence the final results. Different blood sampling methods with different duration and strength of compression may lead to hemolysis resulting in falsely elevated values of trace elements. Needles, syringes and tubes contribute to contamination by leaching trace elements from their walls or lead to loss of material by adsorption to the surface of the walls. As there is still no primary standard in order to guarantee precision and accuracy the calibration procedures have to be compared individually depending on the different matrices of the sample.

Calibration↗

PubMed1986

Serum trace elements in children receiving long-term parenteral nutrition.

The trace elements iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), rubidium (Rb), and bromine (Br) were determined in serum from 18 children, ages 4 to 65 months, who received long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Nine patients (group 1) received TPN as their only source of nutrition; the other nine (group 2) ingested 30% to 70% of their total calorie requirement and received the remainder intravenously. The reference group consisted of 19 healthy children of similar age and sex distribution. Groups 1 and 2 had received parenteral nutrition for 28.4 +/- 13.7 (SD) and 23.1 +/- 17.1 (SD) months, respectively. All patients in group 1 and four in group 2 had short bowel syndrome; four in group 2 had pseudo-obstruction syndrome. Patients in group 1 had normal serum levels of Fe, Cu, and Mn, but increased levels of Zn; they had decreased serum concentrations of Se, Cr, Ni, Rb, and Br. Patients in group 2 had decreased serum levels of Mn, Cr, Ni, Rb, and Br. Those trace elements not supplemented in TPN solutions (Se, Cr, Mn, Ni, Rb, and Br) were lower in the children receiving TPN than in the control children, indicating inadequate intake of these trace elements from food and TPN solutions. However, no obvious clinical signs or symptoms of trace element deficiencies were observed.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2004

Serum changes in trace elements during thyroid cancers.

The objective was to examine changes in trace elements due to thyroid cancer in humans. Serum levels and tissue contents of trace elements (Zn, Cu, Mn, Mg, Fe and Se) were measured in 43 patients with thyroid cancer before and 4 days after surgery were compared to normal values. The serum levels of zinc in cancer patients were lower than those of normal subjects. Surgical removal of the cancer resulted in the restoration of these levels. Although serum Cu levels in patients were not different from normal, but post-operatively these levels rose significantly (p < 0.001). Levels of Fe, Mg and Mn were significantly lower (p < 0.001) post-operatively. There was no significant change in Serum Se levels. The thyroid tissue contents of these trace elements did not show a difference between the normal (Juxta-tumor) thyroid tissue and the cancerous lesion. Out of the six trace elements examined, the decrease of serum levels of zinc in cancer patients may be linked to the disease condition. It is suggested that this change: (a) may be used to demonstrate successful cancer surgery and (b) may have implications for a long-term follow-up of thyroid cancer patients.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

PubMed1979

Trace element composition of ascitic fluid.

The relationship between trace elements in the serum and ascites of the cirrhotic patient was investigated because there is an interchange of protein, particularly albumin, between serum and ascitic fluid. To study this relationship, serum and ascitic fluid were obtained from 13 patients with biopsy-proved Laennec's cirrhosis. The trace element content of the ascitic fluid studied was less (22% to 73%) than that in serum. Protein fractions were all decreased in ascitic fluid compared with serum. Levels of zinc, calcium, copper, selenium in ascitic fluid correlated well with the ascitic fluid protein fractions. Thus, the trace element composition of ascitic fluid differed appreciably from that of serum, and seemed to correlate with the protein composition of the ascitic fluid in the case of zinc, copper, calcium, and selenium.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Trace elements in trauma and burns.

This review describes the place of trace elements in the management of critically ill injured patients. There has been a growing interest in trace elements as a result of their essential role in endogenous antioxidant defence mechanisms and in immunity. Burns and trauma are associated with increased free radical production and negative trace element balances, which contribute to the imbalance in endogenous antioxidant capacity and the extension of primary lesions. Supplementation trials have shown that early provision of large amounts of trace elements improve recovery after major burns and brain injury.

Brain Injuries↗

PubMed1999

Trace elements in end-stage renal disease. 1. Methodological aspects and the influence of water treatment and dialysis equipment.

For human beings trace elements are essential nutrients with a gamut of functions. They are for instance indispensable components of many enzymes, so they have some regulatory functions and they may affect immune reactions and free radical generation. Altered blood levels of different trace elements have been described in patients with advanced renal failure and especially in those treated by different kinds of renal replacement therapy. Altered renal function may result in impaired renal excretion of trace elements and their accumulation or depletion in the body. The dialysate concentrate and water used for preparing the dialysate may be an important source of the accumulation or depletion of trace elements in dialyzed patients. The gain or loss of trace elements during dialysis depends on the gradient between the ultrafiltrable fraction of a particular element in serum and its concentration in the dialysis fluid, and also on the type and permeability of the dialysis membrane. There are some methodological problems concerning the handling and storing of blood samples and measurement techniques leading to the rather inconsistent results of different studies concerning trace elements in renal disease. Geographical variations and environmental contamination of soil and water and different dietary habits may significantly influence trace elements in these patients. The abnormalities of trace elements are primarily the result of uremia, and they may be further modified and sometimes greatly exacerbated by the dialysis procedure.

Artifacts↗

PubMed2005

Impact of the use of waste on trace element concentrations in cement and concrete.

The results of model calculations carried out to identify and quantify the input pathways of trace elements into cement and concrete and to estimate the extent to which trace element concentrations in cement may change due to waste utilization are presented. As expected, primary raw materials represented the most important input pathway for trace elements into cement, but the contribution from wastes was not negligible. The use of waste led to a slight increase of the concentrations of cadmium, antimony and zinc in cement. For cobalt, lead and vanadium, this increase was less distinct and for all other trace elements considered, the effect of the use of wastes on trace element concentrations in cement could not be demonstrated clearly. The trace element content of concrete was governed by the aggregates for most elements considered. However, for arsenic, cadmium, lead and zinc, both cement and the additive coal fly ash contributed noticeably to the total trace element concentration in the concrete.

Arsenic↗

PubMed1998

Trace element supplementation modulates pulmonary infection rates after major burns: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Infections remain the leading cause of death after major burns. Trace elements are involved in immunity and burn patients suffer acute trace element depletion after injury. In a previous nonrandomized study, trace element supplementation was associated with increased leukocyte counts and shortened hospital stays. This randomized, placebo-controlled trial studied clinical and immune effects of trace element supplements. Twenty patients, aged 40 +/- 16 y (mean +/- SD), burned on 48 +/- 17% of their body surfaces, were studied for 30 d after injury. They consumed either standard trace element intakes plus supplements (40.4 micromol Cu, 2.9 micromol Se, and 406 micromol Zn; group TE) or standard trace element intakes plus placebo (20 micromol Cu, 0.4 micromol Se, and 100 micromol Zn; group C) for 8 d. Demographic data were similar for both groups. Mean plasma copper and zinc concentrations were below normal until days 20 and 15, respectively (NS). Plasma selenium remained normal for group TE but decreased for group C (P < 0.05 on days 1 and 5). Total leukocyte counts tended to be higher in group TE because of higher neutrophil counts. Proliferation to mitogens was depressed compared with healthy control subjects (NS). The number of infections per patient was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in group TE (1.9 +/- 0.9) than in group C (3.1 +/- 1.1) because of fewer pulmonary infections. Early trace element supplementation appears beneficial after major burns; it was associated with a significant decrease in the number of bronchopneumonia infections and with a shorter hospital stay when data were normalized for burn size.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Minerals and trace elements in milk.

The nutritional roles, requirements, and metabolism and the quantitative relationship between dietary intakes and health for a number of the minerals and trace elements have been more clearly defined in recent years, but there are still considerable deficiencies in our understanding of these issues, e.g., the significance of calcium in the etiology and treatment of osteoporosis and hypertension. Reliable information is now available on the content, and the principal factors affecting it, of most of the minerals and trace elements in human and cow's milks. However, for some of the trace elements, there is still a wide variation in reported values in the literature, which is due, at least in part, to analytical difficulties. The contribution of cow milk and milk products to the diet in Western countries is significant for sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and iodine. Iodine is the only trace element for which there has been any suggestion of excessive amounts in cow milk. However, there is evidence of a decline in milk iodine concentrations in the United States in recent years, although the situation in other countries less clear. Breast milk usually has adequate mineral and trace element contents for feeding full-term infants, with the exceptions of fluoride, for which supplementation of infants is recommended, and of selenium in some countries, such as Finland and New Zealand, where maternal intakes are low. However, breast milk selenium contents have increased in these countries in recent years due to increased maternal selenium intakes. The concentrations of minerals and trace elements in infant formulas for full-term infants are generally higher than in human milk, and all appear to be more than adequate, with the possible exception of selenium, which may need to be increased in some formulas. Considerable changes in the mineral and trace element contents of formulas have been instituted in recent years in the light of improved knowledge of infant requirements. While the chemical forms of the macrominerals and some of the trace elements (iron, zinc, copper, and manganese) in milks are fairly well defined, the forms of many of the trace elements are unknown. Sodium, potassium, chloride, and iodine are believed to be almost totally absorbed from milks and infant formulas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed2000

[Analysis of trace elements contents in dry-fruit of xinjiang].

Ten kinds of trace element's contents in nine kinds of specialities of Xinjiang were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrometry and flame atomic emission spectrometry. The trace element's contents in these different specialities were compared with each other. The relationships between the over-accumulation of trace element in body and some illness of people were also studied. Statistics suggest that there are different contents of the ten kinds of trace elements in every kinds of dry-fruit. The statistics are valuable references.

China↗

PubMed1985

Sex and age related differences in trace element concentrations in hair.

The effects of age and sex on hair trace element levels for five essential minerals and trace elements and five toxic trace elements are reported. Recent studies in the field of hair tissue chemistry are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Investigation of the transport of trace elements across barriers in humans: studies of placental and mammary transfer.

UNLABELLED: The barrier function of the human mammary gland for selected trace elements was evaluated by analysing 27 maternal sera and corresponding colostrum samples for 14 trace elements. To investigate the impact of the human placenta at the end of gestation on the transfer of 17 trace elements from the mother to the baby, 29 maternal and corresponding umbilical cord sera (UCS) were studied. The uptake of trace elements from the UCS by the fetus was investigated in nine pairs of arterial and venous UCS. In colostrum, the concentration of Cu was 19%, of Se 47%, of Co 80%, of Mg 146%, of Ca 222%, of Sn 228%, of Mn 275%, of Mo 814%, and of Zn 1470% of that of the maternal sera. For Cd and Pb the corresponding values were 200% and 325%, respectively. These data show that the mammary gland can exert an activating as well as an inhibiting effect on the trace element transfer. A concentration gradient mode of action for the transfer of Li, Mo and Sr could be found. In UCS the concentration of Cu was 20%, of Se 55%, of Co 60%, of Sn 85%, of Mo 100%, of Mg 105%, of Ca 120%, of Zn 148%, and of Mn 150% of that of the maternal sera. The corresponding values for Cd were 66% and for Pb 50%. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the placenta can exhibit an activation or inhibition on transfer as well as a gradient mode of action as for Mo, Cs, Li and Sr. The uptake of essential trace elements from venous UCS by the unborn ranged from 2.5% for Ca to 16.7% for Mo. Both the placenta and the mammary gland can exert an activating, inhibiting or gradient mode of action for selected trace elements, the biological impact of which needs to be further elucidated.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Trace elements in pleural effusions.

When the secretion of pleural fluids exceeds their resorption, liquid (pleural effusion ) will accumulate between the visceral and parietal pleura. Pleural effusions derived from the liquid components of blood are expected to contain trace elements and may, as a sink for trace elements, deprive the body of needed essential elements upon their removal by medical intervention. Consequently, patients may be at risk of drifting into trace-element deficiencies. Because the literature is almost devoid of data about trace elements in effusions, the concentrations of 14 trace elements (Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cs, Cu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Rb, Sn, Sr, Zn) were determined simultaneously by inductively-coupled argon-plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in effusions from 17 patients. The median values for the concentrations of Rb (209 microgram/kg, range 104-334 microgram/kg) and Cs (1.5 micrograms/kg, range 0.8-2.4 microgram/kg) in the effusions were almost the same as in the sera. The concentrations of Mg (range 15-22 mg/kg), Ca range 52-91 mg/kg), Sr (range 12-37 micrograms/kg), and Ba (range 1.4-18.2 micrograms/kg) were consistently lower in the effusions than in the sera by 18% for Mg, 26% Ca 14% for Sr, and 88% for Ba (percentages based on median in serum as 100%). The concentrations of the essential trace elements Co (range 0.16-0.5 microgram/kg), Cu (130-902 micrograms/kg), Mn (0.2-2.2 micrograms/kg), Mo (0.4-1.5 micrograms/kg), Sn (0.4-1.2 micrograms/kg), and Zn (27-1931 micrograms/kg) in the effusions are generally lower (25-55% based on median) than in the corresponding sera, although a few effusions have higher concentrations of Co, Mn Mo, or Zn than in the sera. The concentrations of Cd (range 0.2-0.5 microgram/kg) in the effusions were approximately the same as in the sera for three patients, considerably lower than in the sera for four patients, and considerably higher for three patients. The concentrations for lead (range 0.6-45 micrograms/kg) in the effusions were generally much higher than in the sera. The effusions were not significantly contaminated with lead-rich erythrocytes. The concentrations of Ca, Cu, and Zn in the effusions correlated positively with the protein concentrations in the effusions. One kilogram of the effusions contain from 10-30% of the trace elements present in the entire volume of serum in circulation.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Evidence for enhanced bioavailability of trace elements in the marine ecosystem of Deception Island, a volcano in Antarctica.

This study assessed whether trace elements present at Deception Island, an active submarine volcano in the Antarctic Peninsula, show enhanced biological availability to the local marine community. Using a weak acid extraction method to dissolve organic material and leach associated but not constitutive trace elements of sediments, fifteen elements were measured from seafloor sediment, seawater particulates, and tissues of benthic (bivalves, brittlestars, sea urchins) and pelagic (demersal and pelagic fishes, krill) organisms collected in the flooded caldera. The highest element concentrations were associated with seafloor sediment, the lowest with seawater particulates and organism tissues. In the case of Ag and Se, concentrations were highest in organism tissue, indicating contamination through the food chain and biomagnification of those elements. The elements Al, Fe, Mn, Sr, Ti, and to a lesser extent Zn, were the most concentrated of the trace elements for all sample types. This indicates that the whole ecosystem of Deception Island is contaminated with trace elements from local geothermal activity, which is also reflected in the pattern of element contamination in organisms. Accordingly, element concentrations were higher in organisms collected at Deception Island compared to those from the neighboring non-active volcanic King George Island, suggesting that volcanic activity enhances bioavailability of trace elements to marine organisms. Trace element concentrations were highest in digestive tissue of organisms, suggesting that elements at Deception Island are incorporated into the marine food web mainly through a dietary route.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2000

Major Element, REE, and Other Trace Element Behavior in Amphibolite Weathering under Semiarid Conditions in Southern India.

A body of komatiitic amphibolite, an enclave within the Archean high-grade orthogneisses in southern India, shows mild chemical weathering under semiarid conditions. Along fractures, chemical weathering has advanced (Chemical Index of Alteration &sqbl0;CIA&sqbr0;=53; CIA of fresh rock approximately 26) to the extent that secondary Mg-Fe-Al clay minerals have formed and the rock has turned brownish red, soft, and fine grained. The weathering process has resulted in the mobilization and redistribution of the so-called immobile elements Fe, Al, Ti, and REE effected by the nature of secondary mineral formation (talc vs. aluminous clay minerals) and also possibly by soil microbes. In the initial stages of secondary mineral formation, there is a small loss of Fe, Al, and REE (noticeably Eu). However, in the fracture zone as well as in the incipiently altered zone, there is significant REE enrichment, probably affected by a different precipitation mechanism. Mobilized REE may have come from a minor alteration of clinopyroxene.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

Concentration, distribution, and comparison of selected trace elements in bed sediment and fish tissue in the South Platte River Basin, USA, 1992-1993.

During August-November 1992 and August 1993, bed sediment and fish liver were sampled in the South Platte River Basin and analyzed for 45 elements in bed sediment and 19 elements in fish liver. The results for aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead,manganese, selenium, silver, uranium, and zinc are presented here. All 12 trace elements were detected in bed sediment, but not all were detected in fish liver or in all species of fish. A background concentration of trace elements in bed sediment was calculated using the cumulative frequency curves of trace element concentrations at all sites. Arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, silver, uranium, and zinc concentrations were greater than background concentrations at sites in mining areas or at sites that have natural sources of these elements. Trace element concentrations in fish liver generally did not follow the same patterns as concentrations in bed sediment, although concentrations of aluminum and cadmium were higher in fish liver collected at mountain sites that had been disturbed by mining. Concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, silver, and zinc increased in bed sediments in urban areas. Iron, silver, and zinc concentrations in fish liver also increased in urban areas. Concentrations of cadmium, copper, silver, and zinc in fish liver increased in the agricultural areas of the basin. Downstream changes in trace element concentrations may be the result of geological changes in addition to changes in land use along the river.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Patterns in trace element chemistry in the freshwater tidal reaches of the River Trent

The major, minor and trace element chemistries at two freshwater tidal sites on the River Trent are described and compared with the non-tidal river, to demonstrate the variability in chemical processes in a major chemically and hydrologically active part of the river system, which is often overlooked in freshwater hydrochemical studies. The study shows a chemical gradient along which concentrations increase downstream for suspended sediments and acid-available particulate (AAP; > 0.45 microm) trace element fractions and also the 'dissolved' (< 0.45 microm) fractions of those trace elements with low-solubility phases. The study highlights the importance of tidally induced suspended-sediment dynamics and the generation of microparticulates for trace element transport within the tidal reaches. The microparticulate and particulate fractions are associated with both anthropogenic and lithogenous sources, and the concentrations of these two fractions co-vary according to a two-component mixing model involving riverine and tidal endmembers, with the tidal endmember exhibiting a strong lithogenous component. In many cases the AAP trace element concentrations are highly linearly correlated. At the downstream tidal site, suspended sediment concentrations were particularly high and ranged from 44 to over 24,000 mg/l as a result of tidally induced sediment mobilisation. As a consequence of this, particulate metal concentrations are especially high, and here, for the first time within the east coast studies of UK rivers, particulate fractions were measurable for trace elements such as boron and molybdenum, previously reported above detection limits only in dissolved form. It is demonstrated that the microparticulate components are not simply related to suspended sediment concentrations or to the bulk composition of the AAP fraction. Rather, microparticulate generation is related to a more complex pattern, probably linked to hydrodynamic factors involving sediment resuspension and microparticulate transport mechanisms.

Journal Article↗