title: Neutron activation analysis of scalp hair from ALS patients and residents in the Kii Peninsula, Japan.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of transition metals in the scalp hair of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in the Koza/Kozagawa/Kushimoto (K) area (K-ALS) in the Kii Peninsula, Japan. Metal contents were measured in the unpermed, undyed hair samples of 88 K-residents, 20 controls, 7 K-ALS patients, and 10 sporadic ALS patients using neutron activation analysis at the Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University. A human hair standard and elemental standards were used as comparative standards. The contents of Zn, Mn, and V were higher, while that of S was lower in K-ALS patients than in the controls. The content of Mn in K-ALS patients negatively correlated with clinical durations. The content of Al was significantly higher in K-residents than in the controls, with 15.9 % of K-residents having high Mn contents over the 75th percentile of the controls. The contents of Zn, Mn, and V were high in the scalp hair of K-ALS patients and correlated with the content of Al. The accumulation of these transition metals may chronically increase metal-induced oxidative stress, which may, in turn, trigger the neuronal degeneration associated with K-ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Kansai University of Health Sciences, 2-11-1, Wakaba, Kumatori, Sennan, Osaka, 590-0482, Japan, tkihira815@kansai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tameko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kihira
authors.forename: Iori
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Sohei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Ikuro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wakayama
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamiya
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Yuhto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iinuma
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kajimoto
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiwatani
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kohmoto
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kokubo
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuzuhara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009501:Neutron Activation Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D012535:Scalp / Q000378:metabolism*; D014639:Vanadium / Q000032:analysis; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014639:Vanadium; D008345:Manganese; D015032:Zinc