Quantification of some trace elements in humans

本研究致力于进一步开发、评估、验证和应用人体骨骼中微量和有毒元素的活体测量新技术。测量是非侵入性的，不采集样本，也不会给患者带来不适。-最近在骨质疏松症患者中发现了低剂量锶的有益效果。在中、高剂量下，锶可以诱发肾脏患者的骨软化症和儿童的软骨病等疾病。体内X射线荧光技术已经被开发出来，用来测量储存在骨骼中的锶。我们希望进一步发展和提高这项技术的敏感性，并促进其临床应用，使患有骨质疏松症的患者受益。目前铝和锰都是有毒元素。有证据表明，透析患者体内的铝水平升高，会导致各种健康问题和死亡。此外，人们一直在激烈辩论任何形式的铝是否与阿尔茨海默氏症有关。锰对人类生命是必不可少的，特别是对神经和骨骼功能。长期接触低水平的锰会导致比锰中毒、类似帕金森氏病的综合症更温和的神经症状：包括记忆障碍、运动控制丧失和某些身体动作的精细化程度降低。为了测量元素浓度，利用低能量加速器进行了活体骨骼中子活化分析。这项技术的一个关键特点是干扰反应在能量上是不允许的。本研究项目集中于但不限于：进一步开发系统和体内先导研究活体测量人体骨骼元素的新技术。

This research concentrates on the further development, evaluation, validation and application of the new techniques for in vivo measurements of  trace and toxic elements in human bone. Measurements are non-invasive, no sample is taken, nor is there discomfort to the patient.   A beneficial effect of low strontium doses has been recently found in osteoporosis patients.  At intermediate and high doses, strontium can induce diseases such as osteomalacia in renal patients and rickets in children. The in vivo X-ray fluorescence technique has been developed to measure strontium stored in the bone. We would like to further develop and improve the sensitivity of the technique, and facilitate its clinical application to benefit patients suffering from osteoporosis.    Aluminum and manganese are toxic elements. It is documented that increased aluminum levels are detected in dialysis patients causing a variety of health problems and deaths. Furthermore, it has been vigorously debated whether aluminum in any form is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Manganese is essential to human life, in particular, to neurological and skeletal functions. Exposure to manganese at low levels for a prolonged period of time can result in milder neurological symptoms than those seen in manganism, Parkinson's disease like syndrome: including memory deficit, loss of motor control and reduction in the refinement of certain bodily motions. To measure the elements concentration, in vivo neutron activation analysis of bone is developed using a low-energy accelerator. A critical feature of this technique is that the interfering reactions are not energetically permitted. This research project focuses on, but is not limited to: a further system development and an in vivo pilot study of the new techniques of in vivo measurements of elements in human bone.