title: Quantification of chemical elements in blood of patients affected by multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Although some studies suggested a link between exposure to trace elements and development of multiple sclerosis (MS), clear information on their role in the aetiology of MS is still lacking. In this study the concentrations of Al, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Si, Sn, Sr, Tl, V, W, Zn and Zr were determined in the blood of 60 patients with MS and 60 controls. Quantifications were performed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectrometry and sector field ICP mass spectrometry. When the two groups were compared, an increased level of Co, Cu and Ni and a decrement of Be, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mo, Pb and Zn in blood of patients were observed. In addition, the discriminant analysis pointed out that Cu, Be, Hg, Co and Mo were able to discriminate between MS patients and controls (92.5% of cases correctly classified).
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Visconti
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santucci
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghazaryan
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Figà-Talamanca
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cannoni
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bocca
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pino
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Violante
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alimonti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvetti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ristori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008670:Metals / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D012825:Silicon / Q000097:blood; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008670:Metals; D014131:Trace Elements; D012825:Silicon