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In order to identify arsenic as one of the major factors that cause Blackfoot disease on the southwest coast of Taiwan, an atomic absorption spectrophotometric method was used to determine arsenic, selenium and iron concentrations in the tissue of plantar digital arteries. Samples from 31 patients with Blackfoot disease and 30 controls with road traffic accident or occupational injuries were studied. The results indicate that the arterial tissue from Blackfoot disease patients had higher arsenic concentration (3.06+/-1.42 microg/g) than that from healthy controls (0.59+/-0.28 microg/g). The variability was very large 418% at p<0.001. It was also noted that the concentrations of selenium (1.23+/-0.41 microg/g and 1.05+/-0.13 microg/g in patients and controls respectively; with variability 17.1%) and iron (72.7+/-34.9 microg/g and 35.2+/-16.5 microg/g in patients and controls respectively; with variability 106.5%) were both higher than those of controls. However, only the iron concentration was significantly different (p<0.05).

Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometric methods were developed for, arsenic, selenium, copper, zinc and iron in hair samples. Data from blackfoot disease patients at five clinical stages were compared with those from healthy controls. The copper and zinc concentrations showed only slight differences in all clinical stages, which indicated the less relation to blackfoot disease. The decrease of selenium and iron in all stages was attributed to the antagonistic effect of arsenic; arsenic increased in the first and second stages, but decreased in the later stages. The decrease of selenium and iron during the progression of the disease is thought to be due to persistence of the antagonistic effect of arsenic in the initial stages, so that very low concentrations of selenium are found in the advanced stages, despite the later decrease of arsenic. There was also a progressive decrease of iron with advance of the disease, and the later stages also showed a decrease in haemoglobin. It was shown that arsenic is a major cause of blackfoot disease, and that it antagonises selenium and iron, which decreased in the advanced clinical stages of the disease.

The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation of the mean contents of hair calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc in female osteoarthritis (OA) patients. This study was designed to compare the mean contents of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc in the hair of OA female patients (n = 51), and healthy female controls (n = 50) by using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. In this study, significantly higher mean contents of copper (p <0.001), potassium (p <0.01), sodium (p < 0.05) and ratio of [Cu/Zn] (p < 0.001) were found in OA female patients' hair. Conversely, significantly lower ratios of [Na/K] (p <0.05) and [Fe/Cu] (p <0.01) were found. Based on our finding, we suggest that the mean contents of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc may play an important role in OA. However, exactly how the mean contents of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and zinc affect OA still remains unclear and should warrant further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An atomic absorption spectrophotometric method was used to determine the concentrations of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc in the hair of breast cancer patients (n = 50) in Taiwan. The results demonstrate that breast cancer patients have lower mean hair concentrations of calcium, magnesium and zinc than those of the healthy controls (n = 50). These aforementioned concentrations were noted with significant difference of p < 0.05. Particularly in calcium and magnesium there appears a significant difference of p < 0.001. However, breast cancer patients have higher mean hair concentrations of copper and iron than those of the healthy controls. The significant difference was obvious with p < 0.05, and p < 0.001. In addition, when further compared with the healthy controls, the breast cancer patients have higher ratios of Cu/Zn, Ca/Mg and Cu/Fe in hair. These ratios were noted with all showing a significant difference of p < 0.05. Particularly, when comparing Cu/Zn and Cu/Fe ratios, a significant difference of p < 0.001 appeared. Our results conclude that changes of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc concentrations in hair may have a certain relationship with breast cancer. The ratios of Ca/Mg, Cu/Zn and Cu/Fe could be used as biochemical markers in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]