Erland Johansson

Reduced zinc in peripheral blood cells from patients with inflammatory connective tissue diseases

By the use of the nuclear microprobe technique, the concentrations of zinc in isolated erythrocytes, platelets, and granulocytes were measured in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory arthritides, and scleroderma. Markedly reduced cellular zinc values were found compared to those measured in healthy subjects. No relation was found to inflammatory activity or disease duration. Plasma zinc was reduced in the majority of the patients and was negatively correlated to the inflammatory activity estimated by ESR and serum orosomucoid. No relation was found between total zinc values in plasma or cells or disease duration. Corticosteroid therapy was instituted in a number of the patients with inflammatory arthritides and induced a significant elevation of total zinc in all cell types, although normalization was not acheived. Plasma zinc values remained unchanged during the treatment.

Protective effects of selenium against mercury toxicity as studied in the rat liver and kidney by nuclear analytical techniques

Mercuric chloride and sodium selenite were separately administered to male rats in the drinking water or in a combination (2.5 mmol Hg/L and 0.1 mmol Se/L). The mercuric chloride group showed histopathological lesions, as evidenced by cell necrosis in the liver and tubular necrosis in the kidney. The sodium selenite group showed some depression in growth, but pathological changes were found neither in the liver nor in the kidney. Simultaneous administration of both compounds produced a protective effect on weight loss and histopathology. These effects were associated with some small structures in the kidney proximal tubules and to some structure in the extracellular space in the liver. Thin, unstained cryosections were freeze-dried and examined in the Studsvik Nuclear Microprobe. The structures observed in the liver and the kidney were shown to contain both selenium and mercury.

Application of the nuclear microprobe to the study of elemental profiles in individual blood cells. Preparation and analysis

Abstract The elemental profiles of three types of blood cells from a group of apparently healthy individuals were revealed using the Studsvik Nuclear Microprobe operated in the PIXE mode. This study was initiated to determine the best way of preparing the blood samples in order to minimise contamination and optimise the ease of handling. Venous blood was sampled the usual way. The blood was then centrifuged according to a specially designed scheme to separate red cells, platelets and neutrophil granulocytes.

The incorporation of selenium and alterations of macro- and trace element levels in individual blood cells following supplementation with sodium selenite and vitamin E : A nuclear microprobe application.

Significant alterations in the selenium content of erythrocytes, thrombocytes, and neutrophil granulocytes were observed following a daily supplementation of 200 μg Se + 100 mg vitamin E during a period of 2 months. The neutrophil granulocytes incorporated more selenium than the thrombocytes. The iron content of the thrombocytes decreased on selenium supplementation, while the opposite was noted for the neutrophil granulocytes. The glutathione peroxidase activity was not significantly changed during the period of observation.

Interactions of selenium with metal ions at the cellular level.

In a supplementation study in which organic selenium asl-selenomethionine was administered in low doses during 1 yr, alterations in the concentrations of metal ions in the erythrocytes and the neutrophil granulocytes were observed. In the erythrocytes, altered concentrations of zinc were parallel with selenium. The concentrations of magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper, and sulfur were not significantly altered. However, altered concentrations of iron and zinc were observed in the neutrophils. The concentrations of magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper, and sulfur were not significantly altered.The accumulation of selenium in individual blood cells was different from that obtained with supplementation of inorganic selenium. When organic selenium was supplemented, the thrombocytes accumulated more selenium than the erythrocytes and the neutrophil granulocytes.The observations indicate that selenium interacts with metal ions at the cellular level when supplemented in low doses. The chemical form of selenium might be important in nutrition and therapy in view of the interaction and distribution pattern at the cellular level.

Micro-PIXE analysis of macro- and trace elements in blood cells and tumors of patients with breast cancer

Abstract Elemental profiles of erythrocytes, neutrophil granulocytes and cancerous tissue from breast cancer patients, stage I–IV, displayed significant alterations in some essential and nonessential elements. Aluminium and titanium concentrations were increased in cancerous tissue. In the erythrocytes the iron, zinc and magnesium concentrations were about half the normal levels. The hemoglobin value was within the lower normal range. Titanium was observed in the erythrocytes and the neutrophils from the group examined but not in the control group. The neutrophils of the cancerous group displayed significantly increased concentrations of iron, copper and manganese but lowered concentrations of magnesium and zinc. Micro-PIXE might be a useful complement in the detecting of the imbalance of essential and nonessential elements in cancer.

Trace-element determination in individual peripheral blood cells and possible diagnostic applications.

Trace elements are indispensable for the effective and proper functioning of biological systems. Recent years have demonstrated the conspicuous lack of knowledge about trace-element physiology. Establishment of reference values is a very difficult task, requiring the consideration of and compensation for a number of possible simultaneous phenomena.Peripheral blood has been used in medical diagnosis for a very long time, because, among other things, it is easily accessible. In the search for signs of lack or excess of minerals and trace elements in disease, the interest has been focused mainly on blood plasma or serum. The utilization of blood cells as a marker model is proposed here. The advent of the nuclear microprobe made possible the determination of elemental profiles of individual cells.The techniques of blood cell separation and preparation for microprobe analysis are presented and discussed. As an example of a possible diagnostic application, a set of reference data from a control group is compared to corresponding data from a group of patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia.

Mercury in Blood Cells--Altered Elemental Profiles Toxic Events in Human Exposure

The study was composed of 27 persons that displayed vague symptoms similar to those of the victims of Minamata and Iraq. Skew distributions of mercury were observed in individual erythrocytes and neutrophil granulocytes when measured by PIXE. Mercury could not be detected in the platelets. The erythrocytes also displayed lowered concentrations of magnesium and zinc, together with increased concentrations of calcium and strontium. The neutrophils displayed decreased concentrations of magnesium and zinc and increased concentrations of calcium, strontium, and iron. The presence of mercury and the altered elemental profiles in the erythrocytes and the neutrophil granulocytes are suggested as early signs of exposure.

Leukemia — Its manifestation in the microelement profile in individual blood cells as determined in the nuclear microprobe

Abstract Leukemia is characterised by perturbations of the hemopoiesis leading to altered production patterns of lymphocytes or granulocytes. Deviations in the microelement profile in blood cells from leukemic patients were thus judged to be of significance. To assess the concentration of trace and more abundant elements within individual blood cells, the Studsvik Nuclear Microprobe was employed. The results on blood cells from leukemic patients revealed strong irregularities in the microelement profiles as compared with a control group.

Formation and characterization of carbon layers deposited during ion bombardment of silicon

Abstract Monocrystalline silicon substrates have been implanted with 70 keV N+ and C+ ions. During implantation, thin layers of carbon films, containing about 10% of silicon, have been deposited by controlled vacuum carburization. RBS and AES techniques were used for surface analyses. Friction studies were carried out by a ball on disc tribometer. Drastic reduction of the friction coefficient was observed for the surface treated samples. It was found that the vacuum carburized layer acts as a solid lubricant. Diamond scratch tests also showed a reduced tendency for crack formation on the implanted/vacuum carburized surfaces.