Determination of rubidium in human serum

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Biochemistry
• Trace Element Analysis

Background:

• Accurate determination of trace elements like rubidium in human serum is crucial for understanding physiological processes.
• Existing methods for rubidium quantification may have limitations in sensitivity, precision, or sample volume.
• Establishing reference ranges for rubidium in healthy populations is essential for clinical diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine rubidium concentrations in human serum samples from a cohort of healthy volunteers.
• To evaluate the precision and efficiency of the field desorption mass spectrometry (FD-MS) technique for rubidium analysis.
• To investigate potential correlations between serum rubidium and potassium levels.

Main Methods:

• Employed field desorption mass spectrometry (FD-MS) coupled with stable isotope dilution for rubidium quantification.
• Analyzed serum samples from 110 healthy volunteers (50 males, 60 females).
• Determined corresponding potassium concentrations in the same serum samples.

Main Results:

• Rubidium concentrations in human serum ranged from 0.96 to 3.56 µmol/L, with a mean of 1.96 µmol/L.
• Achieved high measurement precision of 0.8% within-batch.
• Observed a weak trend indicating higher potassium levels with increasing rubidium concentration.

Conclusions:

• FD-MS with stable isotope dilution is a precise and efficient method for determining rubidium in human serum.
• Established a reference range for serum rubidium in a healthy adult population.
• Suggests a potential, albeit weak, relationship between serum rubidium and potassium homeostasis.