title: Serum trace metal levels in Alzheimer's disease and normal control groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether serum trace metals are related to abnormal cognition in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied serum lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and arsenic(As) in 89 patients with AD and in 118 cognitively normal individuals. We analyzed the results of the blood tests and the food intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum Pb levels correlated with word list recall (P = .039) and word list recognition (P = .037). Without age adjustment, serum Cd levels (P = .044) were significantly higher in the AD group. After stratified age adjustment, the levels of selected trace metals did not differ significantly between AD and normal individuals. Food intakes regarding selected trace metals were not significantly different between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, serum Pb, Cd, Hg, and As levels were not directly related to abnormal cognition in AD. Serum Pb levels were significantly negatively correlated with verbal memory scores.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Psychiatry, Sanggye Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong-Woo
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyung Su
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyojee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Joung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D001151:Arsenic / Q000097:blood*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; cadmium; heavy metal toxicity; lead