Blood and tissue concentration of cesium after exposure to cesium chloride: a report of two cases.
BACKGROUND
Complementary alternative medicine therapies based on the use of cesium chloride preparations for the treatment of cancer and radiation poisoning, have generated therapeutic interest; but oral or intravenous administration of cesium chloride (CsCl) to cancer patients as an alternative mode of cancer therapy have not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).


OBJECTIVE
Cesium (Cs) levels from human tissue were measured to determine exposure to an alternative medical treatment. Cesium levels are reported from two patients who were administered cesium chloride in conjunction with aloe vera as part of an alternative cancer treatment.


METHODS
The samples were analyzed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background correction. As a reference, Cs was also determined in brain, liver, kidney, and whole blood from control case materials retrieved from the National Tissue Repository of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.


RESULTS
High levels of cesium were found in brain, liver, kidney, bile, gastric content, and whole blood collected at autopsy as compared to reference levels. The administration of cesium chloride resulted in blood levels a factor of 1100 higher than normal. The highest Cs concentrations were found in the liver (1029 microg/g, dry wt), followed by the kidney (815 microg/g, dry wt) and brain (219 microg/g, dry wt).


CONCLUSIONS
The high accumulation in the liver suggests that hepatotoxicity from Cs might be an initial presenting symptom in Cs-poisoning cases. This is the first report describing two cases with high Cs levels in human tissues.
Centeno
José A
JA
Department of Environmental and Toxicologic Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC 20306-6000, USA. centeno@afip.osd.mil
Pestaner
Joseph P
JP
Omalu
Bennet I
BI
Torres
Norca L
NL
Field
Frances
F
Wagner
Glenn
G
Mullick
Florabel G
FG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D001646:Bile / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002586:Cesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D013696:Temperature
D002712:Chlorides; D002586:Cesium; C028019:cesium chloride