Quantitative trace element mapping in liver tissue from patients with Wilson`s disease determined by micro X-ray fluorescence

Aims: of this investigation were to quantify copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) along with sulphur (S) andphosphorus (P) in hepatocytes and connective tissue in liver section from patients with Wilson´s disease (WD) bymicro Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (μ-SRXRF). Secondly to establish two-dimensional μ-SRXRF elementmappings for comparison with histologically prepared slices, and thirdly to assess whether elemental distribu-tions are associated.Methods: Archival liver tissues from twelve patients with end-stage cirrhosis or fulminant WD were investigated.Mutations in ATP7B have been classified before. For control seven archived normal liver tissues were in-vestigated. μ-SRXRF measurements were performed at the DORIS III storage ring at HASYLAB/DESY (Hamburg,Germany). Two-dimensional element distribution were compared with histologically prepared slices about20–30 μm apart from those investigated by μ-SRXRF.Results: Elementary copper (Cu) could be demonstrated in all investigated liver sections simultaneously with Fe,Zn, P and S. In WD mean Cu was 20 fold increased in hepatocytes and threefold in fibrotic areas in comparisonwith controls. In regeneration nodules Cu was strikingly inhomogeneous distributed. Cu concentrations mea-sured by μ-SRXRF correlated with those measured by atom absorption spectroscopy. Strong associations in theirregional distribution existed between Zn and Cu or Fe and S. Moreover, differences in Cu/S were found betweenhepatocytes and fibrotic areas. An increase of Fe could only be documented in hepatocytes compared to fibroticareas. With a beam size of 15 x 15 μm two-dimensional distributions of these elements are morphologicallycomparable with histological section with a magnification of about 25x optic microscope.Conclusions: μ-SRXRF investigations are a valuable tool for quantifying element concentrations in biologicaltissues and further provide 2-dimensional information of element distribution and elemental association in abiological tissues, thus speeding up basic knowledge in a synopsis with biological and clinical data

Stimulierung innovativer Dienstleistungen im Handwerk. Entwicklung eines Konzeptes fuer das Herstellen von Erstmustern aus Gummi, Kunststoff und Silicon

SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F01B532 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

Distribution of Pb and Zn in slices of human bone by synchrotron µ-XRF

Synchrotron radiation-induced micro x-ray fluorescence analysis (m-XRF) at HASYLAB beamline L was used to determine the distribution of Pb and other trace elements in slices of human bone. Using a focused synchrotron x-ray beam of about 15 μm in diameter it was found that Pb was mostly located at the outer border of the cortical bone in various samples. Ratios of Pb intensities of cortical and trabecular bone varied from 0.027 for hip head to 0.408 for proximal tibia. Additionally Ca, Zn and Sr distributions were simultaneously recorded. A remarkable association between Pb and Zn content could be observed

Is inflammatory bowel disease an independent and disease specific risk factor for thromboembolism?

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are thought to be at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (TE). However, the extent of this risk is not known. Furthermore, it is not known if this risk is specific for IBD or if it is shared by other chronic inflammatory diseases or other chronic bowel diseases. Aims: To compare the risk of TE in patients with IBD, rheumatoid arthritis, and coeliac disease with matched control subjects. Patients and methods: Study subjects answered a questionnaire assessing the history of TE, any cases of which had to be confirmed radiologically. A total of 618 patients with IBD, 243 with rheumatoid arthritis, 207 with coeliac disease, and 707 control subjects were consecutively included. All three patient groups were compared with control subjects matched to the respective group by age and sex. Results: Thirty eight IBD patients (6.2%) had suffered TE. This was significantly higher compared with the matched control population with only 10 cases reported (1.6%) (p<0.001; odds ratio (OR) 3.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7–7.8)). Five patients with rheumatoid arthritis (2.1%) had suffered TE compared with six subjects (2.5%) in the control population matched to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (NS; OR 0.7 (95% CI 0.2–2.9)). TE had occurred in two patients with coeliac disease (1%) compared with four subjects (1.9%) in the control population matched to the coeliac disease group (NS; OR 0.4 (95% CI 0.1–2.5)). In 60% of TE cases in the IBD group, at least one IBD specific factor (active disease, stenosis, fistula, abscess) was present at the time TE occurred. Conclusions: IBD is a risk factor for TE. It seems that TE is a specific feature of IBD as neither rheumatoid arthritis, another chronic inflammatory disease, nor coeliac disease, another chronic bowel disease, had an increased risk of TE