title: Trace metal concentrations in hair and nails from Alzheimer's disease patients: Relations with clinical severity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Metals, especially transition metals, seem to be important in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. This study aims to determine the relationship of trace metal elements to the pathogenesis and/or course of Alzheimer Disease in terms of clinical severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The hair and nail trace metal levels of 62 Alzheimer Disease patients at different clinical stages (21 mild, 20 moderate, 21 severe) and 60 healthy control subjects were measured by using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The statistical comparisons were performed with regards to the study groups, clinical stages, disease duration and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient and control groups were significantly different from each other in regards to Mn, Fe, Cu, Cd, Hg (p<0.001), Zn (p<0.01) in nail concentrations and, Na, Al, Pb, Co (p<0.001), Fe, Mn (p=0.001), Hg, Cu, Cd, K in hair concentrations (p<0.01). No difference was detected in the levels of Mg and Ca. Nail Na level showed differences among different clinical stages of the disease (p<0.01). In comparing the mild degree Alzheimer patients to the control group; significant differences were detected in nail Mn, Fe, Cu, Co (p<0.001), Hg, Zn (p<0.01) and, hair Pb, Al (p<0.001), Na, K levels (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results have shown that transition and posttransition metals are especially important metals for the disease process. The relation of nail Na level with clinical stages of AD is an interesting new finding, making someone to think that alkali metals may be important in the progression of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Erciyes University, Facultyof Medicine, Department of Neurology, Kayseri, Turkey. Electronic address: emelk@erciyes.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koseoglu
authors.affiliation: Erciyes University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics, Kayseri, Turkey. Electronic address: rkoseoglu@erciyes.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Rahmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koseoglu
authors.affiliation: Nevsehir State Hospital, Department of Neurology, Nevsehir, Turkey. Electronic address: drmuratkendirci@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kendirci
authors.affiliation: Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Kayseri, Turkey. Electronic address: saraymen@erciyes.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saraymen
authors.affiliation: Erciyes University, Health Institute, Primary Health Center Doctor, Kayseri, Turkey. Electronic address: drbur2011@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saraymen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009262:Nails / Q000737:chemistry*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements
keywords: Alkali metals; Alzheimer disease; Coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Metal hypothesis; Transition metals