Trace Element Concentrations in Hair, Fingernails and Plasma of Patients with Chronic Renal Failure on Hemodialysis and Hemofiltration

Abstract

Trace element concentrations in hair and fingernails and plasma of nondialyzed, hemodialyzed and hemofiltered patients with chronic renal failure and healthy volunteers were measured by atomic and nameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry and neutron activation analysis. Plasma aluminum concentrations in all three groups of patients were higher than in the controls. Aluminum levels in plasma and red blood cells were higher in hemofiltered patients than in dialyzed patients. The aluminum concentrations in the hair of both nondialyzed and dialyzed patients was higher than in the controls, while that in the hemofiltered patients it was not. These elevated aluminum concentrations appear to be mainly caused by the use of aluminum-contaminated dialysate. Calcium concentrations in the hair of nondialyzed and dialyzed patients were higher than in the controls. Plasma zinc concentrations in all the patients were lower than the controls, and the concentrations in hemofiltered patients were lower than in the dialyzed patients.

Trace Elements in the Hair of Hemodialysis Patients

“…It has been reported that the blood concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, and Al were higher in the dialysis patients [4,25]. Although elevation of the hair Al concentrations of dialysis patients has been reported in a study performed in the1980s [18] , the hair Al concentrations were not significantly different in hemodialysis patients compared with those in healthy subjects in either the study by Hayashi et al [17] or the present study. This may be due to the fact that much attention has been recently paid to avoid Al contamination in dialysis solutions, since the report of dialysis encephalopathy due to Al in 1976 [26].…”

“…Although there was a report of no correlations between the hair and blood concentrations of some elements in dialysis patients [15], the hair may be used as an additional biomarker of elemental status in dialysis patients. However, there have been few studies of trace elements of the hair in dialysis patients [16][17][18].…”

Abnormal Accumulation of Vanadium in Patients on Chronic Hemodialysis Therapy

“…The modified method allowed the measure ments of V concentrations as low as 0.08 ng/ml in 4-ml serum samples. The Al concentrations in water and the serum were also measured by the fiameless atomic absorption technique (7). Tissue V levels were measured by the nondestructive neutron activation analysis at the Musashi Technical University Research Institute of Nuclear Energy, using the method previously reported (7,8],…”

Usefulness of Measurements of Trace Elements in Hair

“…Marumo et al 104 determined nine elements in the plasma, red cells, hair and finger nails of 52 patients with chronic renal failure. Results were reported in detail for calcium, zinc and aluminium.…”