Magdalena Golasik

Essential metals profile of the hair and nails of patients with laryngeal cancer

Trace elements have an impact on numerous physiological processes. The monitoring of their levels in the organism allows you to detect not only their deficiencies, but also several illnesses. The aim of this study was to compare the levels of essential elements (calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese) in hair, nails and serum of both patients with laryngeal cancer and healthy people. The determination of six metals was performed by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The concentration of essential elements in hair and nails of the control group was statistically significantly higher than in the group of patients with laryngeal cancer. In the case of serum, differences were found between the patients and controls in respect of the level of three metals. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) revealed the strong and similar clustering behavior of essential elements in hair and nails. The metals did not correlate between two alternative materials. The present study indicated that, using the level of essential elements in hair and nails as a basis, it is possible to distinguish cancer patients from healthy people. The alternative materials are independent of homeostasis and therefore seem to be more useful in the detection of diseases and mineral deficiencies in human than the classical biological materials, such as blood.

Metal concentrations in hair of patients with various head and neck cancers as a diagnostic aid

Head and neck cancers are one of the most frequent cancers worldwide. This paper attempts to evaluate disturbances of homeostasis of the necessary elements (calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese) and changes in the levels of toxic metals (lead, cadmium, cobalt, chromium VI) in hair of patients with head and neck cancers, as well as people without a diagnosed neoplastic disease. In order to quantify the necessary elements and toxic metals, a method using ICP-MS and ICP-OES techniques had been developed and validated. The studies have shown that patients with head and neck cancer used to drink alcohol and smoked much more frequently than healthy individuals, both in the past and presently. Statistically significant differences in concentrations of average metal content in the group of patients with head and neck cancers compared to the control group were confirmed. Significant differences in metal content between the group of patients with head and neck cancers and healthy individuals were found which enabled distinguishing between the study groups. To this end, a more advanced statistical tool, i.e. chemometrics, was used. The conducted research analyses and the use of advanced statistical techniques confirm the benefits of using alternative material to distinguish the patients with head and neck cancers from the healthy individuals.

Toxicokinetics and tissue distribution of titanium in ionic form after intravenous and oral administration

Titanium is widely used both in food and cosmetics, as well as in surgery and industry. Contrary to most studies, the present work focused on the determination of the toxicokinetic parameters of titanium in ionic form, as well as on its tissue biodistribution in rats. The animals were administered either a single intravenous dose of 6 mg Ti/kg b.w., or received the same dose orally every day for 30 days. The concentration of titanium in the serum and organs was measured by a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Metal rapidly distributed from the circulation to the investigated organs after both routes of administration, and kidney was identified as the main target tissue, followed by liver and spleen. One month of oral exposure to Ti led to the increase of its concentration in liver, kidneys, spleen, and heart. In the intravenous study, both the highest area under concentration-time curves and the longest elimination half-life time were recorded in the kidney followed by serum, spleen and liver. The present study contributes to the knowledge of the toxicokinetics of titanium in ionic form, which may be especially useful when assessing the health risks of long-term exposure to titanium alloy implants in patients.

Toxicological aspects of soluble titanium – a review of in vitro and in vivo studies

Owing to the widespread use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in various food, household and cosmetic products and in industry, the number of publications concerned with the potential toxic effects and health risks related to this substance in both bulk and nano form is steadily increasing. On the other hand, there is also a third form of titanium, ionic, which is produced by the biodegradation of Ti alloy implants. Thus, the growing population of implant recipients should raise concerns about the impact of soluble Ti on human health. Today, the mechanism of this metals action on the human body is still not fully understood. This review aims to explore the health risks associated especially with long-term use of titanium implants. The paper provides an analysis of data available from the last 10 years concerning investigations of the adverse effects of Ti ions, including in vitro models of various tissues, in vivo studies of implant corrosion in animals and humans, and potential pathomechanisms of the adverse health impact induced by soluble titanium.

Urine as a material for evaluation of exposure to manganese in methcathinone users.

Chronic exposure even to low doses of manganese may lead to development of neurological syndrome similar to parkinsonism. The aim of this research is to assess the possibility of manganese poisoning based on the level of metal in the urine of long-term methcathinone users from Poland. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS) was used to determine manganese in urine, while the detection of the psychoactive drugs was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results of survey on longitudinal patterns of drug use showed that users of traditional illicit drugs now turn to cheaper alternatives, such as methcathinone. Parkinsonian features were observed in almost half of methcathinone users. The subjects had a higher mean level of Mn in their urine (8.68±9.27 μg L(-1)) than the controls (4.27±1.91 μg L(-1)). The presence of numerous psychoactive substances (in unchanged forms and their metabolites) was confirmed in all of the samples, with only one exception. The elevated level of manganese in urine (in 29.2% of patients) can be used as a primary marker of recent methcathinone administration, especially in the case of long time intravenous drug users where blood sampling is complicated.

Proteins as biomarkers of carbon monoxide neurotoxicity

Abstract Context: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is the most common form of accidental lethal poisoning and is associated with a risk of brain damage in survivors. Objective: The goal of this study was to examine whether Tau protein or S100B protein may be used as a biomarker for acute brain dysfunction. Materials and methods: The determination of Tau and S100B proteins was performed in serum samples collected from 27 CO-poisoned patients and 12 healthy volunteers. Results: The level of Tau protein in the serum of patients (444 ± 227 ng L−1) differed significantly compared with those in the healthy controls (240 ± 61 ng L−1) and correlated with the level of carboxyhemoglobin. A higher concentration of Tau protein was found in patients who had lost consciousness during CO exposure. The concentration of S100B in the serum of CO-poisoned subjects (0.08 ± 0.03 µg L−1) was not statistically different from values obtained for the controls (0.07 ± 0.02 µg L−1). Conclusion: CO poisoning appears to be associated with an elevated level of Tau and S100B proteins in the serum of patients who had suffered a loss of consciousness. The study has shown that Tau protein is a more sensitive biomarker than S100B protein for the earlier stage of neurotoxic effects of CO intoxication.

Trace Determination of Manganese in Urine by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry

This paper describes a simple and sensitive method for the determination of manganese in human urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS), which includes sample preparation by microwave digestion. Matrix modifier combinations, the digestion power, pyrolysis, and atomization temperatures were optimized. A mixture of 5.0 µg Pd(NO3)2 and 3.2 µg Mg(NO3)2 modifier presented the best performance. The optimal temperatures for pyrolysis and atomization were 1500°C and 1950°C, respectively. The GFAAS method was compared to inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) for the determination of manganese in urine. Analytical figures of merit for GFAAS and ICP–MS were: accuracy (3.46%, 2.19%), precision (3.61%, 5.84%), LOD (0.109 µg · L−1, 0.015 µg · L−1), LOQ (0.327 µg · L−1, 0.045 µg · L−1), and recovery (80–100%, 74–89%). Both methods were employed for the determination of Mn in urine and the results were compared statistically.

Development of a method for the determination of titanium in tissue by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for clinical analysis

A method was developed for the determination of low titanium concentrations in soft tissue. It is based on the microwave-assisted acid digestion of the samples and quantification of the element by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The heating program was optimized through pyrolysis and atomization curves. The optimal temperatures were 1300 °C and 2600 °C for pyrolysis and atomization, respectively. Three matrix modifiers in various combinations were investigated and a mixture of 20 μg NH4H2PO4 and 6 μg Mg(NO3)2 allowed the best sensitivity and signal profile to be obtained. Under optimum conditions, the detection and quantification limits were 0.82 μg L−1 (33.61 ng g−1 of tissue) and 2.50 μg L−1 (102.48 ng g−1 of tissue), respectively. The characteristic mass was 88 pg. The recovery of added titanium in tissue samples was from 77% to 117%. Titanium was detected in 9 clinical samples and 12 animal meat samples, and its content ranged from 0.11 to 0.80 μg g−1.

Chronic treatment with zinc hydroaspartate induces anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcerogenic activity in rats

BACKGROUND The previous study indicated the enhancement of the anti-inflammatory effect of ketoprofen by acute and sub chronic administration of zinc hydroaspartate. METHODS The present study examined anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerogenic and analgesic activity induced by chronic (14 days) administration of ZHA (30 mg/kg, po), with a combination of a single administration of ketoprofen, in rats. Moreover, the zinc concentration in serum and stomach mucosa was also determined. RESULTS Chronic ZHA po administration exhibits anti-inflammatory activity and enhanced the effect induced by ketoprofen. Likewise, ZHA administration demonstrated anti-ulcerogenic activity. While ZHA alone did not exhibit analgesic action, it enhanced the effect of ketoprofen. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated for the first time that chronic treatment with zinc salt exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. Besides, anti-ulcerogenic activity and the enhancing properties of zinc to ketoprofen induced anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity were also shown.