Search

The content of iron, copper, zinc and selenium was measured by energydispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry in normal liver tissue obtained at autopsy from 16 females and 12 males 46–87 years old. The precision of the XRF analysis, expressed by the coefficient of variation was: iron, 1.8; copper, 3.2; zinc, 1.0; and selenium, 26.7. In large liver samples, mean amountof-substance contents of elements in dry liver tissue were: iron, 16.95 mmolkg (range 7.90–27.31 mmolkg); copper, 0.33 mmolkg (0.08–0.76 mmolkg); zinc, 5.12 mmolkg (2.92–9.47 mmolkg); selenium 0.02 mmolkg (<0.004–0.04 mmolkg).Furthermore the amounts of iron, copper and zinc were measured in wet-ashed Menghini needle biopsy specimens taken from the centre of 20 large liver samples. There was good agreement between results obtained in biopsy specimens and large samples concerning iron (r 0.96, P<0.001) and zinc (r 0.97, P<0.001), but not concerning copper (r 0.66, P<0.01). XRF analysis appears to be a convenient method for element analysis in liver tissue and for measurement of iron and zinc in needle biopsy specimens.

Ferritin was analysed with an immunoradiometric assay using anti-spleen ferritin antibodies, in pleural effusions (PI) from 28 patients with malignant effusions (18 carcinoma, 10 mesothelioma), 15 patients with non-malignant exudative effusions of unknown aetiology, and from 12 patients with transudative effusions due to congestive cardiac failure. Geometric mean Pl-ferritin was 617 μg/l in carcinoma, 1301 μg/l in mesothelioma (p<0.01 against carcinoma), 931 μg/l in non-malignant exudates, and 178 μg/l in transudates (p<0.0001 against malignant and non-malignant exudates). There was no correlation between Pl-ferritin and Pl-protein, Pl-albumin or Pl-cell count. Pl-ferritin displayed a wide overlap between the various groups, and was of no value in the discrimination between malignant and non-malignant exudates. In the differentiation between exudates and transudates, the diagnostic accuracy of Pl-ferritin was only slightly lower compared to Pl-protein and Pl-albumin. With the present method, analysis of Pl-ferritin appears to be of limited value in the routine diagnostic evaluation of pleural effusions.

Milman N, Andersen HC, Pedersen NS. Serum ferritin and iron status in 'healthy' elderly individuals. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 1986; 46: 19-26.Iron status, including S-ferritin. S-iron, S-transferrin, transferrin saturation and haemoglobin, was assessed in 267 selected elderly subjects (128 male, 139 female) with a median age of 79 years (range 60-93 years) not suffering from diseases connected with inappropriately high S-ferritin. In both sexes, S-ferritin levels were practically constant over the examined age range. Males had a geometric mean ferritin of 75 μg/l and females a value of 60 μg/l (p<0.001). Levels of S-ferritin < 15 μg/l (i.e. depleted iron stores) were found in 7.8% of males and in 10.1% of females. An S-ferritin level < 15 μg/l and transferrin saturation <15% (i.e. latent iron deficiency) was observed in 2.3% of males and in 2.2% of females. None had iron deficiency anaemia. In subjects (n=232) without iron deficiency [i.e. S-ferritin ≥1.5 μg/l. mean red cell volume ≥79 fl and haemoglobin ≥ 121 g/l (7.5 mmol/l)], the arithmetic mean of S-iron was 18 μmol/l. S-transferrin 28 μmol/l and transferrin saturation 33%. The levels of S-iron, S-transferrin and transferrin saturation were not significantly different in males and females.

In nine kidney-transplanted patients, receiving prednisone as part of the im-munosuppression, serum zinc and urinary zinc excretion were measured for a period of 5––7 weeks after the transplantation. Serum zinc decreased significantly from normal pretransplant values to subnormal values 1––5 days after the transplantation. Thereafter, the serum zinc rose again, and after 2––3 weeks, before start of reduction of prednisone, the serum zinc had risen to a level that was not significantly lower than the pretransplant level. Urinary zinc excretion was generally elevated, especially just after the transplantation. In patients with initially good kidney function the zinc clearance to creatinine clearance ratio was significantly higher during the first week after the transplantation than in the rest of the observation period. Similar findings have been reported after major surgery, and no correlation between serum zinc and the corticosteroid dose was demonstrable. Therefore, in renal allotransplantation, no special supplementation of zinc seems necessary beyond what may be justified by the effect of the surgical trauma.