title: Aluminium involvement in neurotoxicity.
abstract: The aetiology of neurodegenerative diseases (ND) seems to involve susceptibility genes and environmental factors. Toxic metals are considered major environmental pollutants. Following our study of a case of multiple sclerosis (MS) improvement due to removal of aluminium (Al) and other toxic metals, we have examined the possible relationship between Al intoxication and ND. We used the slow intravenous treatment with the chelating agent EDTA (calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid) (chelation test) to remove Al and detected it in the urine collected from the patients for 12 hours. Patients affected by MS represented 85.6% of total ND. Al was present in 44.8% of cases comprehensive of ND and healthy patients. Al levels were significantly higher in ND patients than in healthy subjects. We here show that treatment of patients affected by Al burden with ten EDTA chelation therapies (EDTA intravenous administration once a week) was able to significantly reduce Al intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Luigi Mangiagall, 31, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fulgenzi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Luigi Mangiagall, 31, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vietti
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Luigi Mangiagall, 31, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ferrero
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000535:Aluminum / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015913:Chelation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D009498:Neurotoxins; D000535:Aluminum