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Essential and toxic element concentrations in fresh and formalin-fixed human autopsy tissues
V J Bush1, T P Moyer, K P Batts
1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.
Clinical Chemistry
|February 1, 1995
Summary
Formalin fixation minimally impacts most elemental concentrations in human tissues, except aluminum and manganese. Toxic elements concentrate in kidneys and liver, while essential elements distribute uniformly across organs.
Area of Science:
- Human toxicology
- Analytical chemistry
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Understanding elemental distribution in human organs is crucial for toxicology and health assessments.
- Formalin fixation is a common preservation method, but its effect on elemental concentrations requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify essential and toxic elements in human organs.
- To compare elemental concentrations in fresh versus formalin-fixed tissues.
- To assess the impact of long-term formalin storage on elemental tissue concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Elemental analysis of seven human organs using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS), inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP-ES), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
- Comparison of elemental concentrations between fresh and formalin-fixed autopsy samples from 30 subjects.
- Evaluation of long-term formalin storage effects on specific elements like Aluminum (Al) and Manganese (Mn).
Main Results:
- Formalin fixation generally preserves elemental concentrations, with notable exceptions for Al and Mn, which are affected by prolonged storage.
- Kidneys and liver exhibit the highest concentrations of toxic elements compared to other organs.
- Essential elements show uniform distribution across organs, with exceptions for Iron (Fe) in the liver and Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) in bone.
Conclusions:
- Formalin fixation is a reliable method for most elemental analyses in human tissues, with careful consideration for Al and Mn.
- Organ-specific accumulation patterns exist for toxic elements, highlighting the liver and kidneys as key sites.
- Uniform distribution of essential elements suggests broad physiological roles, with specific organ enrichment for certain elements like Fe, Ca, and Mg.