title: Concentrations of zinc, iron, molybdenum, arsenic, and lithium in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with brain tumors.
abstract: We used flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry to measure concentrations of Fe, Mo, Li, As, and Zn in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with malignant brain tumors benign brain tumors, non-brain malignant tumors and control (non-neoplastic disease) patients. Mean (and SD) concentrations (microgram/L) of these elements in the control group were 62.7 (28.7) for Fe, 6.8 (4.8) for Mo, 0.7 (2.0) for Li, 1.3 (0.7) for As, 7 (5.9) for Zn. We could detect Li in less than 53% of controls. Zn concentrations in CSF of patients with astrocytoma (malignant brain tumor), benign brain tumors, or non-brain tumors were significantly (p less than 0.05) less than in control patients; the ratios for mean concentrations of Zn in tumor patients/control patients for the above groups were 0.3, 0.20, and 0.17, respectively. Concentrations of As in CSF of patients with non-brain malignant tumors were significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than in the controls; the ratio for mean CSF concentration of As in patients with non-brain tumors/control patients was 2.9. Differences in the concentrations of Fe, Li, or Mo among the various groups were nonsignificant.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008094:Lithium / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008982:Molybdenum / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015032:Zinc / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D008982:Molybdenum; D008094:Lithium; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D001151:Arsenic