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PubMedDate not supplied

Trace element status in alcoholism before and during disulfiram treatment.

Trace element status was ascertained in 19 alcoholic patients under long-term treatment with disulfiram and in 12 alcoholic patients treated for the first time; the latter group was re-examined after four weeks of treatment. Both groups were compared to matched controls with a moderate alcohol intake. The copper/zinc ratio in serum was increased in the patients under long-term treatment, and a significant decrease occurred during the first four weeks of treatment in the second group. Blood lead was slightly increased in the second group, but not in the patients under long-term treatment. Blood cadmium was high in both groups, perhaps related to excessive tobacco smoking. Blood mercury concentrations were uniformly low. Urinary nickel excretion in the first group was above reference values, and an increase was seen in the second group during the treatment period. Although trace element concentrations in body fluids may not reflect tissue levels, the results support the notion that trace element balances are influenced by alcoholism and disulfiram treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Comparison of trace element solubility from food items treated separately and in combination.

Solubility of trace elements from various foods (beef, soya, crab, wholemeal and white bread) is assessed with various extractants, at different pH's and after enzyme treatment. Simple extractants do not solubilise trace elements to the same degree as when they are released after digestive enzyme action. Enzymic action can change the nature of the soluble species as well as their amount. Trace element solubility from one food can be affected markedly by the presence of another food, e.g. soya enhances the solubility of iron from beef but suppresses zinc solubility. Trace elements that are bound to the insoluble residue after enzymolysis are soluble in saline solution on subsequent extraction in only isolated instances.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Effect of long-term therapy with sodium valproate on nail and serum trace element status in epileptic children.

Antiepileptic drugs could cause changes in the trace element status of the body. Valproic acid (VPA) is a very effective anticonvulsant agent widely used in the management of various forms of epilepsy. Nail trace element content is a reliable index of trace element nutritional status of the body. To determine whether some of the side effects of antiepileptic drugs could be the result of zinc (Zn) depletion within tissues, Zn concentrations as well as copper (Cu) concentrations in nail and serum in 59 children having various types of epilepsy receiving valproate and 31 controls were assessed. Although serum Zn level in epileptic patients was found to be decreased, there was no difference in nail samples when compared to controls. There was a statistically significant increase in nail Cu level in epileptic patients when compared to controls. On the other hand, serum Cu levels were not different between the groups. Although none of our patients showed any symptoms of Cu elevation and Zn depletion, we should pay attention to potential body trace element changes in patients with epilepsy under VPA treatment. In conclusion, our results indicate that serum trace metal homeostasis might be affected by VPA therapy, but not by the convulsive disorder itself.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[General pathology of trace element deficiency].

According to the authors' concept, different forms of trace element deficiency show some general rules of development. All of them are followed by a decrease of immune resistance. Trace element deficiency is never isolated, it is always characterized by trace element unbalance and is followed by a considerable disturbance of metabolism (mineral, lipid, carbohydrate and protein) with relevant manifestations. Reduced immune resistance and pluriglandular endocrinopathy create the conditions for various malignancies.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗

PubMed1989

Discriminant analysis of trace element distribution in normal and malignant human tissues.

Discriminant analysis of 16 trace element levels measured by ultramicro energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence in malignant and histologically normal human breast, colon, and lung tissues is shown to be a potentially valuable methodology for making malignant-normal and tissue-type classifications. Linear composites of trace elements producing optimal malignant-normal discriminations are found to differ with respect to the number and identity of elements included in the composite for breast, colon, and lung tissues. Nine-, 10-, and 11-element discriminant functions produced overall classification accuracies of 98% for breast, 100% for colon, and 100% for lung tissues, respectively. Elements found to be most important in distinguishing between malignant and normal tissues are Ca, Rb, and Zn in breast, Ca, Zn, and Fe in colon, and Fe, Mn, and Cu in lung samples. Three-group discriminations between breast, colon, and lung tissues were 85% accurate using trace element levels in paired malignant-normal tissues and 91% accurate using trace element levels in tumor tissues only.

Humans↗

PubMed1999

Trace elements in coal: environmental and health significance.

Trace elements can have profound adverse effects on the health of people burning coal in homes or living near coal deposits, coal mines, and coal-burning power plants. Trace elements such as arsenic emitted from coal-burning power plants in Europe and Asia have been shown to cause severe health problems. Perhaps the most widespread health problems are caused by domestic coal combustion in developing countries where millions of people suffer from fluorosis and thousands from arsenism. Better knowledge of coal quality characteristics may help to reduce some of these health problems. For example, information on concentrations and distributions of potentially toxic elements in coal may help delineate areas of a coal deposit to be avoided. Information on the modes of occurrence of these elements and the textural relations of the minerals in coal may help to predict the behavior of the potentially toxic trace metals during coal cleaning, combustion, weathering, and leaching.

Coal↗

PubMed1996

[Effects of essential trace elements on bone turnover--in relation to the osteoporosis].

Trace Elements are essential for normal growth and development of skeletons in humans and animals. Although they are minor building components in teeth and bone, they play important functional roles in bone metabolism and bone turnover. Fluoride accumulates in new bone formation sites and results in a net gain in bone mass. Aluminum induces impairment of bone formation by the inhibition of osteoblastic function. Magnesium enhances bone turnover by through the stimulation of osteoclastic function. Zinc regulates secretion of calcitonin from thyroid grand and influences on bone turnover. Gallium suppresses bone turnover in humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy in a similar mechanism as aluminum and cadmium. Copper induces low bone turnover by both suppressions of osteoblastic and osteoclastic functions. Iodine as the hormonal forms of thyroxine and triiodothyronine enhances bone turnover. Among the trace elements in bone and hair, significant differences were found in the contents of zinc, copper and manganese between normal subjects and osteoporotic patients. However, exact involvements of the trace elements in osteoporosis have not yet been clarified.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Trace element inputs into soils by anthropogenic activities and implications for human health.

Trace element definition and functions, and inputs into soils from the most important anthropogenic sources, related and not related to agricultural practices, of general and local or incidental concern, are discussed in the first part of this review. Trace element inputs include those from commercial fertilizers, liming materials and agrochemicals, sewage sludges and other wastes used as soil amendments, irrigation waters, and atmospheric depositions from urban, industrial, and other sources. In the second part of the review, the most important ascertained effects of soil trace elements on human health are presented. The possible relations found between some specific soil trace elements, such as Cd, Se, As and others, and cancer incidence and mortality, and diffusion of other important human diseases are reviewed. Brief conclusions and recommendations conclude this review.

Agriculture↗

PubMed1997

Effects of trace element and/or vitamin supplementation on vitamin and mineral status, free radical metabolism and immunological markers in elderly long term-hospitalized subjects. Geriatric Network MIN. VIT. AOX.

A randomized double-blind trial was performed in order to assess the efficacity of differing combinations of antioxidant nutrients on biochemical parameters of vitamin and trace element status, immunological parameters and free radical metabolism in elderly long term hospitalized subjects. A total of 756 institutionalized elderly subjects were recruited in 26 nursing homes in different areas of France. Four groups were constituted, receiving daily, for 1 year, either vitamins (beta-carotene, 6 mg; vitamin C, 120 mg; and vitamin E, 15 mg), trace elements (zinc, 20 mg and selenium, 100 micrograms), trace elements associated with vitamins, or a placebo. Biochemical indicators of trace elements and vitamin status and free radical parameters were measured before and after 6 months and 1 year of supplementation. Some immunological markers were investigated initially and after 6 months of supplementation on a subsample of 134 subjects. Mean plasma levels of alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, vitamin C, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and copper increased significantly after 6 months of supplementation in groups receiving vitamins alone or associated with trace elements. Serum selenium concentrations were significantly increased at 6 months of supplementation, and serum zinc only after one year in the trace element groups. Serum lycopene levels were significantly decreased by trace element supplementation. A significant increase in Se-glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels was observed in groups receiving trace elements alone or associated with vitamins. No effect was noted on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity or TBARs production. No effect of supplementation was found for in vitro lymphocyte proliferative responses or most lymphocyte subsets, except for a significantly lower percentage of CD2 subsets observed in groups receiving mineral supplementation either alone or associated with vitamins. A significant difference in CD19 subsets was found in groups receiving trace elements. Mean IL-1 production was significantly higher after 6 months of supplementation in the vitamin groups.

Aged↗

PubMed1980

The effects of the dietary intakes of copper, iron, manganese, and zinc on the trace element content of human milk.

Fifteeen breast-feeding mothers who volunteered for a study of trace elements in human milk, kept two 7-day food records during the course of lactation. The 1st survey week ranged from 6 to 8 weeks and the 2nd survey week from 17 to 22 weeks postpartum. The milk samples submitted for analysis represented a sample of every feed during a period of 24 hr and contained foremilk and hindmilk in equal proportions. The 7-day food records were handled by a computing system to give an average daily food consumption and nutrient intake, but iron was the only trace element given by the system. In order to estimate the trace element intakes of the mothers, mixtures were prepared to represent the average daily food consumption. The trace element concentrations of the mixtures and milk samples were analyzed using the atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. The estimated average daily copper intake was 1.8 mg, the iron intake 16 mg, the manganese intake 5 mg, and the zinc intake 13 mg. The mean copper, iron, manganese, and zinc concentrations of the milk samples were 0.36 +/- 0.07 mg/liter, 0.40 +/- 0.10 mg/liter, 4.5 +/- 1.8 microgram/liter, and 1.89 +/- 0.74 mg/liter for the 1st survey week and 0.21 +/- 0.07 mg/liter, 0.29 +/- 0.09 mg/liter, 4.0 +/- 1.5 microgram/liter, and 0.72 +/- 0.44 mg/liter for the 2nd survey week. A significant positive correlation (P less than 0.01) was observed in the 2nd survey week between maternal manganese intake and the manganese content of human milk. The intake of copper, iron, and zinc, at the present level of intake, did not seem to affect the corresponding trace element levels in human milk.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Dietary intake and bioavailability of trace elements.

In order to assess the nutritional importance of trace elements, it is relevant to consider the factors regulating their metabolism. One of the most important factors is the true intake level. Conventional techniques such as diet history and interview studies in conjunction with standard food tables do not provide the true intake levels from prepared meals. Employing the duplicate portion technique, we have investigated the dietary intake of trace elements in prepared meals consumed by children, adults, and elderly in Sweden. The results indicate that the intake of potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium is low when compared with the present recommended dietary allowance (RDA) values. It appears that a marginal deficiency of a number of trace elements may exist in the general population of affluent countries. When the dietary intakes are known, it is necessary to consider the bioavailability. This depends on the chemical form as well as the concentration of other dietary constituents such as fiber, phytate, carbohydrates, macrominerals, and vitamins in the diet. Knowledge of these interactions are important to improve the overall nutritional status of the population in general and patients in particular.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

Decreased trace element contents in chromatin of patients with pemphigus.

Three trace elements, manganese, copper and zinc, selected as normal constituents were measured in the chromatin fraction of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from four pemphigous patients and compared with values form 4 matching control cases treated with corticosteroid. Manganese and copper were decreased in pemphigous patients significantly against controls whereas zinc was decreased slightly without statistical significance. Decreased trace element levels in chromatin revealed an unique pattern characteristic only for pemphigus as compared with earlier data of this group and of others in different pathological states. Decrease in chromatin zinc content might reflect the fact of corticosteroid treatment rather than a pathognomic feature which has to be taken into consideration while working with samples from patients on long-term steroid therapy. The theory of trace element depletion in pemphigus is confronted with known reports of penicillamine--a chelating agent--induced cases of the disease.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed2003

Trace elements improve survival of DTIC-treated mice with overt liver metastases of Lewis lung carcinoma.

Trace elements have been previously shown to have specific antimetastatic effects in a mouse 3LLHH liver metastasis model. Here we have analyzed the effect on the survival of animals with liver metastases. Trace elements administered per os at 500-5000 mg/kg/day did not affect the survival of animals with liver metastases. However, when trace element treatment was combined with dacarbazine (DTIC) administration, the survival of animals was significantly improved (55%). This effect was specific for DTIC since trace elements did not influence the effect of 5-fluorouracil on survival in this liver metastasis model. These data and those found in the literature all suggest that trace elements can specifically modulate the antitumoral/antimetastatic effects of chemotherapeutic agents.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Use of instrumental neutron activation analysis to determine concentrations of multiple trace elements in human organs.

AInasmuch as the availability of suitable analytical specimens may be limited, the defining of normal concentrations or ranges of trace elements in human organs is problematic. Little is known about whether various parts of an organ, or of bilateral organs, differ in their concentrations of trace elements. In this study, the authors determined the distribution of trace elements in different portions of human organs, and between the right and left lung and kidney, with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). By setting the variance limit at less than 20%, they determined that trace elements were similar in 7 of the 9 organs tested (the exceptions being kidney and lung). Trace element concentrations found in the right lung were very different from those found in the left lung. Some trace elements varied in concentration according to the part or laterality of the organ tested.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Trace elements in little egrets and flamingos of Camargue, France.

Trace elements (Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, Zn) were measured in nine organs (liver, kidney, breast muscle, lungs, breastbone, stomach, gizzard, spleen, feathers) of several specimens of Greater Flamingos (Phaenicopterus ruber (Pallas] and Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta (L.] from the Camargue, in the Rhône river delta. In both species, individual fluctuations of Cd, Hg, Pb, and Se levels were important in all organs, whereas Zn and Cu, essential metals, exhibited only moderate variations. The organotropism of trace elements supports the hypothesis that major routes of contamination would be both nutritional and aerial for flamingos, and prevailingly alimentary for egrets. In both species we found the highest levels in liver and kidney, with the exception of lead, the highest levels of which were found in breastbone and feathers. Our study indicates that trace element concentrations in flamingos and egrets are higher than or equivalent to those reported in the literature for birds living in polluted areas. Because the Camargue is a unique area in western Europe it would be of interest to develop more studies to evaluate the impact of surrounding human activities on this Biosphere Reserve.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Trace elements in nutrition for premature infants.

Ten trace elements that are nutritionally essential include: zinc, copper, selenium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, cobalt, fluoride, iodine, and iron. This article briefly reviews the biochemistry of these trace elements, describes clinical deficiency states, and provides a rationale for recommended enteral and parenteral intakes for preterm infants.

Copper↗

PubMed1998

Trace elements in hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

Alterations in blood and tissue concentrations of trace elements in patients with chronic renal failure have been extensively investigated. Selenium, zinc and copper are elements which play an important role in biological systems as components of proteins, enzymes and antioxidants. The concentrations of selenium, zinc and copper were determined in the plasma, erythrocytes and whole blood of patients on regular hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) treatment using the method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Analysis of isotopes 77Se, 66Zn and 65Cu was performed. Methodology presents the major limitation to valid studies on trace element levels in biological materials. One of the widely used contemporary techniques is ICP-MS. It is the most sensitive one and has a high dynamic range. The selenium concentration in the studied compartments (plasma 46.1 +/- 3.0 vs. 78.0 +/- 3.4 microgram/l, p < 0.001; erythrocytes 90.4 +/- 6.5 vs. 134.2 +/- 7.6 microgram/l, p < 0.01; whole blood 67.3 +/- 3.1 vs. 106.4 +/- 3.4 microgram/l, p < 0.001) was significantly lower in HD patients compared to healthy controls. The same result was observed in plasma (63.2 +/- 5.8 vs. 78.0 +/- 3.4 microgram/l, p < 0.05) and whole blood (82.7 +/- 7.4 vs. 106.4 +/- 3.4 microgram/l, p < 0.01) from CAPD patients, but the selenium level of erythrocytes in CAPD patients was the same as in the control group (126.0 +/- 8.8 vs. 134. 2 +/- 7.6 microgram/l). The cooper content of erythrocytes was lower in HD patients than in controls (0.55 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.66 +/- 0.01 mg/l, p < 0.01) and CAPD groups (0.55 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.68 +/- 0.02 mg/l, p < 0.001). There were no differences in copper content in plasma (HD 1. 02 +/- 0.06; CAPD 1.11 +/- 0.09; controls 1.02 +/- 0.05 mg/l) and whole blood (HD 0.87 +/- 0.04; CAPD 0.90 +/- 0.05; controls 0.85 +/- 0.02 mg/l) in HD and CAPD patients and healthy controls. The zinc concentration was increased in the whole blood of CAPD patients (6. 68 +/- 0.36 vs. 5.52 +/- 0.11 mg/l, p < 0.001) and erythrocytes of HD (12.30 +/- 0.23 vs. 10.11 +/- 0.42 mg/l, p < 0.001), and CAPD groups (13.71 +/- 0.56 vs. 10.11 +/- 0.42 mg/l, p < 0.001) compared to controls. However, the plasma zinc concentration was lower in HD patients compared to blood donors (0.69 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.92 +/- 0.03 mg/l, p < 0.001) and CAPD patients (0.69 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.95 +/- 0.04 mg/l, p < 0.001). We did not find a significant increase in trace elements in whole blood after HD. These results suggest differences between plasma, erythrocytes and whole blood concentrations of the studied trace elements. The levels of trace elements are altered by HD and CAPD. A modern precise method with high accuracy, ICP-MS, which was used in our study, eliminated analytical errors and possible interferences.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Disease prevention by vitamins and trace elements].

SUMMARY: Vitamins and trace elements are largely provided by a balanced nutrition. In industrialized countries, though, frequent deficiencies occur e.g. in folic acid and vitamin D as well as iodide, iron and calcium. A short review of recommended daily intake is presented.

Adolescent↗