The chemical speciation of aluminium in human serum

Abstract

Chemical speciation of aluminium in the low molecular mass (LMM) and high molecular mass (HMM) fractions of human serum is discussed. A critical review of the literature on different analytical procedures described for the speciation of aluminium in human serum samples is presented here. The methodologies, the experimental and instrumental requirements and the ability of the reported analytical procedures for identification of HMM and LMM aluminium species in human serum are examined in detail. Non-chromatographic separations coupled to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry for aluminium detection are compared with chromatographic techniques (size exclusion chromatography, anion exchange chromatography and fast protein liquid chromatography) coupled to ETAAS or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection for Al-HMM species investigations. Studies and techniques reported for Al-LMM compounds are also summarised, both for healthy volunteers and dialysis patients. On the basis of the knowledge obtained from the application of the developed analytical procedures to real serum analysis, it has been demonstrated that most of Al in human serum is bound to Al-transferrin, while the LMM-Al fraction (10–20% of total Al) mainly contains Al-citrate, Al-phosphate and ternary Al-citrate–phosphate complexes.