title: Calcium micro-depositions in jugular truncular venous malformations revealed by Synchrotron-based XRF imaging.
abstract: It has been recently demonstrated that the internal jugular vein may exhibit abnormalities classified as truncular venous malformations (TVMs). The investigation of possible morphological and biochemical anomalies at jugular tissue level could help to better understand the link between brain venous drainage and neurodegenerative disorders, recently found associated with jugular TVMs. To this end we performed sequential X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyses on jugular tissue samples from two TVM patients and two control subjects, using complementary energies at three different synchrotrons. This investigation, coupled with conventional histological analyses, revealed anomalous micro-formations in the pathological tissues and allowed the determination of their elemental composition. Rapid XRF analyses on large tissue areas at 12.74 keV showed an increased Ca presence in the pathological samples, mainly localized in tunica adventitia microvessels. Investigations at lower energy demonstrated that the high Ca level corresponded to micro-calcifications, also containing P and Mg. We suggest that advanced synchrotron XRF micro-spectroscopy is an important analytical tool in revealing biochemical changes, which cannot be accessed by conventional investigations. Further research on a larger number of samples is needed to understand the pathogenic significance of Ca micro-depositions detected on the intramural vessels of vein walls affected by TVMs.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorella
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pascolo
authors.affiliation: Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, Area Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gianoncelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rizzardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine and LTTA Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tisato
authors.affiliation: European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Murielle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salomé
authors.affiliation: Servizio Diagnostica Veterinaria, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calligaro
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Neurological Sciences, Centro il Be.Ne, Ospedale Bellaria, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.affiliation: Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.affiliation: Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Cona (Ferrara), Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zamboni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D061848:Optical Imaging; D011859:Radiography; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium