Vitamin D, Essential Minerals, and Toxic Elements: Exploring Interactions between Nutrients and Toxicants in Clinical Medicine.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Schwalfenberg GK
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4539504 | biostudies-other | 2015
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:This study aims to quantify concentrations of minerals and trace elements in human milk (HM) and infant formula (IF) and evaluate associations with medical, social, environmental, and demographic variables. A prospective, case series study of 170 nursing mothers was made. HM samples were obtained from full-term (colostrum, intermediate and mature HM) and preterm (mature HM) mothers. Variables of interest were assessed by a questionnaire. For comparison, IF samples (n = 30) were analyzed in a cross-sectional study. Concentrations of 35 minerals, essential and toxic trace elements were quantified, 5 for the first time: thallium in HM and IF; strontium in preterm HM; and gallium, lithium and uranium in IF. In preterm and full-term HM, levels of selenium (p < 0.001) were significantly lower than recommended and were associated with low birth weight (p < 0.002). Cesium and strontium concentrations were significantly higher than recommended (p < 0.001). Associations were observed between arsenic and residence in an urban area (p = 0.013), and between lead and smoking (p = 0.024) and well-water consumption (p = 0.046). In IF, aluminum, vanadium, and uranium levels were higher than in HM (p < 0.001); uranium, quantified for the first time, was 100 times higher in all types of IF than in HM. Our results indicate that concentrations of most trace elements were within internationally accepted ranges for HM and IF. However, preterm infants are at increased risk of nutritional deficiencies and toxicity. IF manufacturers should reduce the content of toxic trace elements.
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Project description:Ungulates select diets with high energy, protein, and sodium contents. However, it is scarcely known the influence of essential minerals other than Na in diet preferences. Moreover, almost no information is available about the possible influence of toxic levels of essential minerals on avoidance of certain plant species. The aim of this research was to test the relative importance of mineral content of plants in diet selection by red deer (Cervus elaphus) in an annual basis. We determined mineral, protein and ash content in 35 common Mediterranean plant species (the most common ones in the study area). These plant species were previously classified as preferred and non-preferred. We found that deer preferred plants with low contents of Ca, Mg, K, P, S, Cu, Sr and Zn. The model obtained was greatly accurate identifying the preferred plant species (91.3% of correct assignments). After a detailed analysis of these minerals (considering deficiencies and toxicity levels both in preferred and non-preferred plants) we suggest that the avoidance of excessive sulphur in diet (i.e., selection for plants with low sulphur content) seems to override the maximization for other nutrients. Low sulphur content seems to be a forgotten factor with certain relevance for explaining diet selection in deer. Recent studies in livestock support this conclusion, which is highlighted here for the first time in diet selection by a wild large herbivore. Our results suggest that future studies should also take into account the toxicity levels of minerals as potential drivers of preferences.
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Project description:During spring of 2009, a new influenza virus AH1N1 spread in the world causing acute respiratory illness and death, resulting in the first influenza pandemic since 1968. Blood levels of potentially-toxic and essential elements of 40 pneumonia and confirmed AH1N1 were evaluated against two different groups of controls, both not infected with the pandemic strain. Significant concentrations of potentially-toxic elements (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic) along with deficiency of selenium or increased Zn/Cu ratios characterized AH1N1 cases under study when evaluated versus controlled cases. Deficiency of selenium is progressively observed from controls I (influenza like illness) through controls II (pneumonia) and finally pneumonia-AH1N1 infected patients. Cases with blood Se levels greater than the recommended for an optimal cut-off to activate glutathione peroxidase (12.5 μg/dL) recovered from illness and survived. Evaluation of this essential element in critical pneumonia patients at the National Institutes is under evaluation as a clinical trial.
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Project description:The objective of this study was to determine the concentration and the reference ranges of essential and toxic elements in amniotic fluid (AF) and maternal serum (MS) at birth. This study was conducted among 175 healthy pregnant Caucasian European women aged 18-42. AF and maternal blood samples were collected during delivery. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique was used to determine the levels of Mg, Co, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba, Pb, U, Ca, Cr, Al, Mn, V, Fe, As, Se and Sb in AF and MS. The range of reference values was calculated for all analyzed elements in the serum and AF. The mean concentrations of elements, except Pb, were generally higher in MS than in AF. Multiple regression analysis showed that the maternal/newborn body mass (MBM/NBM) ratio was a strong negative predictor (among maternal age and gravidity) of Mg concentration in amniotic fluid. In the serum, MBN/NBM ratio was a strong positive predictor of Cu concentration. Moreover, regression analysis showed that maternal age was an independent positive predictor of the Se level in maternal serum. The reference value ranges of 18 essential and toxic elements were established in AF and MS among a population of healthy pregnant Polish women at delivery. The level of Mg, Co, Cu, Ca and Se in AF and MS can be determined by maternal age and MBM/NBM ratio. These results can be useful in counseling individuals with pregnancies affected by exposure to one of the parameters under investigation.
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Project description:The status of essential and toxic trace elements in patients with different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is still unclear and not well characterized. The present study examined the circulatory levels of a wide panel of trace elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Cd, Pb, and U) in hemodialysis patients (HD group) and pre-dialysis patients with stage 3 CKD (PD group). Comparisons were made between groups of patients and healthy individuals from the control group (CG). The levels of Al, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Sr, and Pb were higher, while the levels of Cr, Zn, Rb, Cd, and U were lower in HD patients than in our CG. Higher levels of Al and Se, as well as lower levels of As, Sr, Zn, Rb, and U were significant and distinguished HD from PD. Among other analyzed elements, Co, Se, and U are the only trace elements that did not distinguish PD from CG at a statistically significant level. The HD group had lower serum U levels than the PD group, and this could be a result of hemodialysis. This study also revealed that the Cu/Zn ratio could be used as a marker for early and late detection of renal failure. Marked changes of essential and toxic trace element levels in sera indicate additional pathophysiological events in CKD, which could additionally contribute to the preexisting increased morbidity of HD patients. Measurement of trace elements in HD patients should be performed routinely.
| S-EPMC8479265 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The levels of forty-three elements were determined in fresh, preserved, and frozen mussels (n = 208) with the purpose of evaluating their contribution to the recommended dietary intake of essential elements and their potential risk to Spanish consumers' health. We found relevant differences in the element content in relation to the mode of conservation of mussels as well as in relation to their geographical origin, brand, or mode of production. According to our estimates, mussels are important contributors to the intake of most essential elements, contributing almost 70% of daily requirements of Se, 30-35% of Mo, Zn, and Co, and around 15% of Fe. At the same time, the pattern of average consumption of mussels in Spain does not seem to imply an excessive risk associated with any of the 36 toxic elements studied. However, it should be noted that, in the high percentile of consumption the exposure to Cd and As may be high, in particular that associated with the consumption of fresh and/or frozen mussels. According to the results of this study, a moderate consumption of mussels can be recommended as a valuable and safe source of trace elements.
| S-EPMC6521244 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The genetic recovery of resistant populations released from pesticide exposure is accelerated by the presence of environmental stressors. By contrast, the relevance of environmental stressors for the spread of resistance during pesticide exposure has not been studied. Moreover, the consequences of interactions between different stressors have not been considered. Here we show that stress through intraspecific competition accelerates microevolution, because it enhances fitness differences between adapted and non-adapted individuals. By contrast, stress through interspecific competition or predation reduces intraspecific competition and thereby delays microevolution. This was demonstrated in mosquito populations (Culex quinquefasciatus) that were exposed to the pesticide chlorpyrifos. Non-selective predation through harvesting and interspecific competition with Daphnia magna delayed the selection for individuals carrying the ace-1(R) resistance allele. Under non-toxic conditions, susceptible individuals without ace-1(R) prevailed. Likewise, predation delayed the reverse adaptation of the populations to a non-toxic environment, while the effect of interspecific competition was not significant. Applying a simulation model, we further identified how microevolution is generally determined by the type and degree of competition and predation. We infer that interactions with other species-especially strong in ecosystems with high biodiversity-can delay the development of pesticide resistance.
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Project description:BackgroundPatients with upper limb action tremor frequently exhibit additional neurological signs of uncertain significance. Clinicians vary in their interpretation, and interrater agreement on the final diagnosis is poor.ObjectivesA new clinical tool for assessing the presence or absence of clinical signs that are important in axis-1 classification of tremor patients is introduced: the Standardized Tremor Elements Assessment (STEA). Interrater agreement is determined, and signs leading to disagreement in the final diagnosis are identified.MethodsThree tremor-focussed and one dystonia-focussed movement disorder specialists rated 59 videos of patients with upper limb action tremor syndromes using STEA. Interrater agreements for final diagnosis and STEA items were calculated.ResultsInterrater agreement regarding the final diagnosis was higher within the group of tremor specialists and poor between dystonia and tremor specialists. Greater agreement was found for items characterizing tremor than for signs of dystonia.ConclusionsClinical signs leading to diagnostic disagreement were identified with STEA, and STEA should therefore be useful in future studies of diagnostic disagreement. The thresholds for considering neurological signs as soft versus significant for ataxia, parkinsonism, dystonia, etc. are critically important in tremor classification and must be studied across movement disorder subspecialties, not simply within a pool of tremor specialists.
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Project description:Concentrated human milk (HM-concentrate) can be obtained from the simple and inexpensive method of donated breast milk direct lyophilization. A previous study reported that HM-concentrate contains the adequate amount of main macro- and micronutrients for use as a nutritional resource for preterm infants with very low birth weight admitted to neonatal intensive care units. However, further details need to be elucidated about HM-concentrate composition, particularly its content of essential and potentially toxic trace elements. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the concentration of essential and toxic elements in human milk considered baseline (HM-baseline) and HM-concentrate, as well as to quantify changes in concentration of these elements after the HM concentration process. The concentration of Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron, Mercury, Manganese, Nickel, Lead, Selenium, Tin, and Thallium was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Moreover, Bayesian linear mixed effect models were applied to estimate the mean difference between HM-baseline and HM-concentrate samples. After comparison (HM-concentrate versus HM-baseline), a significant increase in concentration was observed only for Manganese (0.80 μg/L; 95% CrI [0.16; 1.43]) and Selenium (6.74 μg/L; 95% CrI [4.66; 8.86]), while Lead concentration (-6.13 μg/L; 95% CrI [-8.63; -3.61]) decreased. This study provides latest and reliable information about HM composition. After milk concentration by lyophilization, there was a significant increase only in the essential elements Manganese and Selenium. The essential micronutrient content in HM-concentrate was similar or higher than that in preterm mothers' milk, which suggests it is viable for nutritional support of preterm infants. In addition, the low concentrations of potentially toxic elements in HM-concentrate indicates that it is safe for consumption by premature newborns.
| S-EPMC7479503 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionCerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood, but its causes are only partly known. Early-life exposure to toxic metals and inadequate or excess amounts of essential elements can adversely affect brain and nervous system development. However, little is still known about these as perinatal risk factors for CP. This study aims to investigate the associations between second trimester maternal blood levels of toxic metals, essential elements, and mixtures thereof, with CP diagnoses in children.MethodsIn a large, population-based prospective birth cohort (The Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study), children with CP diagnoses were identified through The Norwegian Patient Registry and Cerebral Palsy Registry of Norway. One hundred forty-four children with CP and 1,082 controls were included. The relationship between maternal blood concentrations of five toxic metals and six essential elements and CP diagnoses were investigated using mixture approaches: elastic net with stability selection to identify important metals/elements in the mixture in relation to CP; then logistic regressions of the selected metals/elements to estimate odds ratio (OR) of CP and two-way interactions among metals/elements and with child sex and maternal education. Finally, the joint effects of the mixtures on CP diagnoses were estimated using quantile-based g-computation analyses.ResultsThe essential elements manganese and copper, as well as the toxic metal Hg, were the most important in relation to CP. Elevated maternal levels of copper (OR = 1.40) and manganese (OR = 1.20) were associated with increased risk of CP, while Hg levels were, counterintuitively, inversely related to CP. Metal/element interactions that were associated with CP were observed, and that sex and maternal education influenced the relationships between metals/elements and CP. In the joint mixture approach no significant association between the mixture of metals/elements and CP (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = [0.67, 1.50]) was identified.ConclusionUsing mixture approaches, elevated levels of copper and manganese measured in maternal blood during the second trimester could be related to increased risk of CP in children. The inverse associations between maternal Hg and CP could reflect Hg as a marker of maternal fish intake and thus nutrients beneficial for foetal brain development.
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