BACKGROUND Alopecia areata (AA) is a recurrent, nonscarring type of hair loss considered to be an autoimmune process. Though its etiopathology is not fully understood, there are claims that imbalance of trace elements may trigger the onset of AA. AIM The aim of the present study was to assess the levels of zinc, copper, and magnesium in the serum of AA patients. METHODS Fifty AA patients (3...

On present evidence, 26 of the 90 naturally occurring elements are known to be or are claimed to be essential for animal life. These consist of 11 major elements (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chlorine and magnesium) and 15 elements generally accepted as trace elements (iron, iodine, copper, manganese, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, selenium, ch...

Understanding the effects of trace metals on human health is as complex as it is fascinating. As mentioned earlier, the high concentrations may prove toxic, as also, depletion in the concentration of the essential trace elements may cause various metabolic instabilities due to enzyme dysfunction. In the era of rapid industrialization and technological advances, it is imperative to watch keenly ...

Present knowledge of human bodily contents and concentrations in blood, urine, and hair of 11 essential trace elements and 17-22 nonessential inert or toxic trace elements is reviewed and summarized. Analyses of trace elements are applicable as diagnostic aids and indices for therapy in a number of clinical conditions. Techniques are not difficult, and analyses will probably become more or less...

Studies in South Australia in the 1930-40's showed that the coastal areas .and, to a lesser extent, the areas inland had inadequate levels of cobalt and copper for livestock health and production. Since these studies, selenium responsive conditions have been recognised in livestock depastured on the ironstone soils in the higher rainfall areas and also in isolated, but at present ill-defined, a...

The importance of the trace metals zinc, copper and iron with respect to fetal growth in human pregnancy, with particular emphasis on their transfer to and uptake by the fetus, was discussed at a meeting of the Nutrition Society by Widdowson et al. (1974). The present paper examines the new information which is available in respect to the trace elements Zn, Cu, manganese, selenium and chromium....

We have studied the contents of trace elements of nutritional or toxicological interest in 90 samples of whole, low-fat, skim, condensed, evaporated and powdered milks. Slurries of the samples were prepared with Triton X-100 and analysed using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The temperature-time programme of the graphite oven was optimized for each element, and the accuracy, prec...

INTRODUCTION Nosocomial pneumonia is a major source of morbidity and mortality after severe burns. Burned patients suffer trace element deficiencies and depressed antioxidant and immune defences. This study aimed at determining the effect of trace element supplementation on nosocomial or intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired pneumonia. METHODS Two consecutive, randomised, double-blinded, supplem...

Recent developments in human trace element nutrition have revealed the need for adequate means of assessing trace element status but, with the notable exception of iron, methods remain grossly inadequate. This applies to the detection of clinically significant deficiency states and even more to the detection of minor deviations from optimal tissue reserves. There is a disturbing tendency for ov...