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Trace element changes in sclerotic heart valves from patients are expressed in their blood

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Abstract

The pathogenesis of some heart diseases has been associated with changes in the balance of certain trace elements. However, whether blood trace element changes exist that are related to changes in the cardiovascular system are, in most cases, unknown. In this study, blood trace element levels were analysed in 46 patients with non-rheumatic aortic valve sclerosis that were previously shown to have a disturbed trace element balance in their valve tissue, including 11/15 elements. Results showed significant changes of blood levels of 8/15 trace elements in these patients when compared with blood levels in 46 healthy controls. Of these elements, Cd and Mg were the only elements that increased in both blood and valves. Cu and Se were increased in blood but decreased in valves, whereas Co and Zn were decreased in blood but increased in valves. Several elements (As, Ca, Fe, Pb, and V) were unchanged in blood although changed in valves. Although Mn and Hg showed changes in blood, this was not evident in the valves. Al and Ag were the only elements that did not change in both blood and valves. Significant co-variation in blood and valve levels was only observed for Al and Pb. The recorded pattern of trace element changes indicates a complex competition/exchange between body compartments in this disease, where the increased blood Cu/Zn ratio suggests an ongoing infectious/inflammatory process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala

    Christina Nyström-Rosander, Göran Friman & Nils-Gunnar Ilbäck

  2. Division of Biomedical Radiation Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala

    Ulf Lindh

  3. Centre for Metal Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala

    Ulf Lindh

  4. Department of Forensic Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala

    Olle Lindqvist

  5. Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala

    Stefan Thelin

  6. Toxicology Division, National Food Administration, Uppsala, Sweden

    Nils-Gunnar Ilbäck

Authors
  1. Christina Nyström-Rosander
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  2. Ulf Lindh
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  3. Göran Friman
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  4. Olle Lindqvist
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  5. Stefan Thelin
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  6. Nils-Gunnar Ilbäck
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Correspondence to Christina Nyström-Rosander.

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Nyström-Rosander, C., Lindh, U., Friman, G. et al. Trace element changes in sclerotic heart valves from patients are expressed in their blood. Biometals 17, 121–128 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BIOM.0000018374.99902.bc

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BIOM.0000018374.99902.bc

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