Study of Trace and Minor Elements in ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Patients by Rena

The importance of trace and minor elements in human disease has been extensively studied. Excessive or deficient amounts of certain elements in the human body have been known to be a causative factor for disease. Despite their importance, the levels of trace and minor elements in the human brain yet to be well established. This study has been performed to provide a library of elemental concentration in the human brain and spinal cord. In addition, degenerated samples obtained from patients who died from ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) were analyzed to find any elements that might be responsible for the disease. Elemental profile of the ALS and the control samples taken from the motor cortex, cerebellum, and spinal cord were obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Irradiations have been performed at a thermal neutron flux of 8 x 1012 n/cm2 sec at the MIT-II reactor. Concentrations of eighteen elements have been determined from short and long experiments. Summary statistics were applied to data sets to examine the statistical properties of the obtained data sets. Average, standard deviation, range, and standardized Kurtosis coefficient were calculated. Average values for each element were compared between ALS and control samples. Aluminum and Sb showed wide distributions in the motor cortex of control samples. Bromine, Cr, Cs and Eu showed wide distributions in the motor cortex of ALS samples. High levels of Mg, Al, V, Sb, Cr, Eu, Fe, and Se and low levels of Ti, Br, Cd, and Rb were observed in ALS samples taken from the motor cortex. Different levels of elements between ALS and control samples were also found in cerebellum and spinal cords. The difference in elemental concentrations deposited in the human brain between ALS and control samples may provide a clue for the etiology of ALS. More studies, however, need to be done for justification. A correlation analysis has been conducted to determine correlation among the observed elements. Results of this analysis showed that there were different elemental correlations in brain tissues of ALS and the control sample. The principal component factor analysis has been applied to the elemental data matrix in order to examine the applicability to biological data sets. Results reveal that by plotting factor scores one can differentiate samples that have the same origin. And the elements in that factor can be used as an indication of that origin. Thesis Supervisor: Ilhan Olmez Principal Scientist of Nuclear Reactor Laboratory and Department of Nuclear Engineering Thesis Reader: Jacquelyn Yanch Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering