Trace element imbalances in blood serum of Alzheimer’s disease patients
R Lavanya, B. Seetharami Reddy, Sheik Abdul Sattar, A. D. P. Rao
Abstract
Trace element concentration of blood serum samples of patients afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and controls were determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. 22 elements starting from low atomic number element lithium to high atomic number element lead were covered under this study. The concentration of lithium and vanadium were measured for the first time. The concentration levels of lithium, aluminum, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, arsenic, selenium, silver, cadmium, cesium, mercury, and lead are found to be higher and the concentration levels of gallium, rubidium, and barium to be lower in the samples of the Alzheimer’s disease afflicted patients compared to controls. The difference in the concentration levels of beryllium, copper, and strontium between the specimens of Alzheimer's disease patients and controls is statistically insignificant. An attempt is made to correlate the trace element imbalance, where observed, with the etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.