María Angélica Fajardo

Salivary bone turnover markers in healthy pre- and postmenopausal women: daily and seasonal rhythm

No studies had investigated circadian and circannual rhythms of bone biomarkers in whole saliva. We evaluated the salivary daily and seasonal rhythm of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) and bone alkaline phosphatase (b-ALP). Forty clinical and oral healthy ambulatory pre- and postmenopausal women from two southern Argentine cities: Comodoro Rivadavia (latitude 45º S) and Ushuaia (latitude 54º S) were included in the study. CTX levels were evaluated in serum, urine, and saliva, and b-ALP levels were measured in serum and saliva. In both groups of women, salivary CTX showed a maximum percentage of change early in the morning (80%) and a minimum in the late afternoon (45%), similarly to the pattern observed in urinary samples. No daily rhythm was observed in serum or salivary b-ALP. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels decreased in winter vs. summer (p < 0.01) without differences between the two studied groups. Conversely, parathormone reached higher levels in winter (p < 0.05) which induced a slight non-significant increment in salivary CTX and b-ALP levels. The results showed that, as in serum and urinary samples, salivary CTX exhibits daily and a slight seasonal rhythmicity. Whole non-stimulated saliva is a useful tool to detect several oral and systemic diseases because it has important advantages compared to serum and urinary samples. Then, it may also be a promising sample to test changes in bone metabolism contributing to diagnose and to monitor the therapy of several metabolic bone diseases.

Human dietary exposure to lead and cadmium via the consumption of mussels and seaweeds from San Jorge Gulf, Patagonia Argentina

Lead and cadmium were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry in Aulacomya atra, Mytilus edulis, Porphyra columbina and Ulva spp. in two sites of the San Jorge Gulf (Argentina). In Punta Maqueda, M. edulis cadmium concentrations were higher than those measured at the mouth of La Mata stream throughout the year. In A. atra, no statistically significant difference was recorded between the two sampling points. Lead levels do not exceed the limits set by the National Agrifood Health and Quality National Service. Cadmium levels in Punta Maqueda exceed the limit set by the EU and values close to the PTWI have been observed. Lead concentrations in P. columbina and Ulva spp. do not seem to represent a problem for the public health. Nevertheless, all the seaweed samples exceed the values set for cadmium in France, Australia and New Zealand. An intake of 30 g of seaweed would not exceed cadmium PTWI.

Metals and metalloids in mussels from the Argentine Patagonia

Mussels are bioaccumulative organisms that are used to monitor marine environments. The levels of 19 metals and metalloids were determined in Mytilus edulis platensis in three sites of the San Jorge Gulf: Bahia Solano (BS), Punta Maqueda (PM) and Km 3 (KM3). The limit values of contaminants As: 16; Cd: 3.7; Cu: 10; Ni: 3.4; Pb: 3.2 and Zn: 200, in μg/g dry weight, were not reached in the sampling sites, except for Cd in PM. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed a relationship between PM and high levels of Cd, between KM3 and high levels of Al, Cu, Pb and Zn, and between BS and high levels of Be, B, Sr and Ag. These results have contributed to the establishment of the state of situation in the spring of 2010 for 19 elements, which could be used in future studies of monitoring and assessment of the environmental risk owing to metal and metalloid contamination in the coasts of Argentine Patagonia.