title: Trace Element Concentrations in Human Tissues of Death Cases Associated With Secondary Infection and MOF After Severe Trauma.
abstract: Proper trace element level is crucial for the organs in maintaining normal physiological functions. Multiple organ failure (MOF) might be added to critically ill patients due to a lack of trace elements. Alterations of trace element levels in brain, heart, liver, and kidney after severe trauma, however, have been little studied so far. In this study, tissue samples of the frontal cortex of the brain, interventricular septum of the heart, right lobe of the liver, and upper pole of the kidney were obtained from forensic autopsies, of which 120 cases died during the 5th to 15th day of hospitalization, whereas the trauma death group and 43 cases immediately died due to severe craniocerebral trauma as the control group. Copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) were quantified by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICP-AES). Cu, Fe, Zn, and Se concentrations in the brain, heart, liver, and kidney in the trauma group decreased dramatically (p<0.05) compared to the control group. The incidence of secondary infection and multiple organ failure (MOF) in the trauma death group were 78.33 and 29.17%, respectively. The concentrations of all elements exhibited a significant correlation with secondary infection and MOF (p<0.01). Our data suggest that low concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Se in pivotal organs may contribute to the incidence of secondary infection and MOF after severe trauma, which to some extent results in death.
authors.affiliation: National Key Disciplines, Department of Forensic and Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. tsuigt@126.com.|Department of Forensic and Pathology, Jiaxing University Medical College, 314001, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China. tsuigt@126.com.|Department of Forensic Pathology, Jiaxing Zhiyuan Forensic Science Institute, 314001, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China. tsuigt@126.com.
authors.forename: Guangtao
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5846-9280
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: National Key Disciplines, Department of Forensic and Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ruibing
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: National Key Disciplines, Department of Forensic and Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Key Disciplines, Department of Forensic and Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Junyao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Beihua University, 132013, Jilin, Jilin Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weiqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Jiaxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 314001, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: National Key Disciplines, Department of Forensic and Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xianxian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Key Disciplines, Department of Forensic and Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: National Key Disciplines, Department of Forensic and Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, 515041, Shantou, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. xjyu@stu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D060085:Coinfection / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D012643:Selenium; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Brain; Heart; Infection; Kidney; Liver; Multiple organ failure; Trace element