title: Multi-elements (aluminium, copper, magnesium, manganese, selenium and zinc) determination in serum by dynamic reaction cell-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Trace element determination in laboratory medicine is widely carried out by atomic absorption or emission spectroscopy. In the last decade, there has been a rapid growth in the use of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry because of its strong detection power, and the possibility of multi-elements analysis in a single run.
  
  
  METHODS
  Having the advantages of smaller sample volume and better detection limit, we developed a method for the simultaneous determinations of six trace elements by using 100 microL serum, and the assay can be accomplished within 3 min.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The method developed gave recovery of the six elements ranging from 97% to 117%. The method covered a wide dynamic range with manganese in the range of nmol/L, while magnesium was in the range of mmol/L. The detection limits were 0.001 mmol/L, 0.05 micromol/L, 2.0 nmol/L, 0.2 micromol/L, 0.05 micromol/L, and 0.01 micromol/L for magnesium, aluminium, manganese, copper, zinc, and selenium, respectively. All the six elements had intra-assay imprecision of less than 5%, and inter-assay imprecision of less than 8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This fast and robust method is suitable for use in the clinical laboratory where short turnaround time is needed for managing patients with trace element deficiency or toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Bonnie Mei
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Wah Fong
authors.forename: Tak Shing
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: Joseph Sai
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kit Lee
authors.forename: Sidney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tam
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000097:blood; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008345:Manganese / Q000097:blood; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D008670:Metals / Q000097:blood*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D008345:Manganese; D003300:Copper; D000535:Aluminum; D012643:Selenium; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc