Thallium Concentration Research Articles

Case report: Successful treatment of a thallium sulfate intoxication in a dog with use of Prussian blue

Soluble thallium salts are highly toxic, with mortality rates exceeding 70% in animals compared to 6%−15% in humans. Early identification of thallium intoxicated patients and decreasing the toxic load by targeted treatment using Prussian Blue are associated with a better outcome in humans. Prussian blue, however, is rarely available or used in veterinary settings. Here we present a rare report of the successful use of Prussian Blue in the management of a dog with a thallium intoxication. A 5-year-old miniature Schnauzer, ingested a thallium sulfate based rodenticide leading to lethargy, anorexia, regurgitation, abdominal pain, borborygmi, constipation, ataxia, dermatitis and progressive alopecia. Intervention involved supportive care with subcutaneous fluids, carprofen, butylscopolamine and dexamethasone in combination with targeted treatment using the chelating agent Prussian blue (15 days) followed by activated charcoal (4 days). The serum thallium concentration on the 5th day of the Prussian Blue treatment was 196 mcg/L confirming thallium intoxication. The serum thallium concentrations were 20.7 mcg/L and 21.5 mcg/L on days 14 and 34 of treatment, respectively. The calculated elimination half-life during the during PB treatment was 2.8 days. The patient showed gradual improvement over several weeks, achieving full recovery at 11 weeks. This case emphasizes the importance of a timely diagnosis and the early start of targeted therapy using Prussian blue, in the management of thallium intoxication in veterinary patients.

Quantifying of thallium in Shilajit and its supplements to unveil the potential risk of consumption of this popular traditional medicine

Shilajit, a natural substance used in traditional and modern medicine, has gained prominence as a vital component in dietary supplements. Concerns regarding its use in complementary medicine have arisen due to limited information regarding its composition. Considering thallium’s well-known toxicity, this study employs flow - injection differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry to accurately quantify thallium in natural Shilajit and Shilajit-based commercial supplements from various regions. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were determined as 6.58 × 10− 3 µg.mL− 1 and 1.98 × 10− 2 µg.mL− 1, respectively. Thallium contents were detected up to 0.226 µg.g− 1 in natural Shilajit, but mainly in the range of a few tenths of µg.g− 1. Thallium contents were found up to 0.5 µg.g− 1 in the supplements studied. Consumption of one pill of supplement, introduces up to 0.095 µg of Tl to the body. Notably, the concentration of thallium in some supplements was higher than in crude Shilajit, raising concerns about the potential health risks associated with long-term consumption. This study underscores potential health risks associated with thallium in both Shilajit and supplements. Regular monitoring and standardized testing are essential to ensure compliance with safe thallium limits, protecting consumers against potential thallium poisoning.

Uncovering the physiology and distribution of thallium in Tl-hyperaccumulating and Tl-sensitive populations of Biscutella laevigata L.

Thallium (Tl) is extremely toxic to all life forms and is an emerging pollutant. Plants in the Brassicaceae family, including edible crops, have an enhanced capacity for Tl accumulation, even from soils with low thallium concentration. The most extreme Tl hyperaccumulator is Biscutella laevigata, capable of attaining >32 000 μg Tl g-1 dry weight (DW) in its leaves. Biscutella laevigata from a non-metallicolous accession (Feltre, Italy) and a metallicolous accession (Les Malines, France) were subjected to a dosing experiment in hydroponics (0, 5 and 30 μm Tl), followed by synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence analysis to elucidate tissue- and cellular-level Tl distribution. Flow cytometric data on the two accessions showed that the Feltre accession has a genome size twice of that of the Les Malines accession (256 and 125 pg per 2C, respectively), suggesting that they are phylogenetically distant populations. The Feltre accession did not accumulate Tl (125 μg Tl g-1 DW on average in leaves) at the 5 µm Tl dose level, whereas the Les Malines accession had a mean of 1750 μg Tl g-1 DW, with peaks of 24 130 μg Tl g-1 DW, at the 30 µm Tl dose level. At 30 µm Tl, the non-metallicolous accession did not grow, and at 5 µm Tl it showed reduced biomass compared with the metallicolous one. In the Les Malines accession, the synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence analysis revealed that Tl was localized in the vacuoles of epidermal cells, especially underneath trichomes and in trichome basal cells. Thallium also occurred in solid crystalline deposits (3-5 µm in size, ~40 wt% Tl) that were found mainly in foliar margins and under trichome bases. Biscutella laevigata is an attractive model for studying Tl hypertolerance and hyperaccumulation on account of the extreme expression of this trait and its marked intraspecific variability.

Attempted Self-Harm with Elemental Thallium Purchased Online: Case Report with Analytical Confirmation

IntroductionThallium is a highly toxic metal, with most publications demonstrating poisoning from thallium salts. We report on a patient with elevated serum and urine thallium concentrations from an intentional ingestion of elemental thallium purchased from the internet for self-harm.Case ReportThe regional poison center was contacted about an 18-year-old man who ingested a fragment from a 100-gram bar reported to be elemental thallium. Serial serum and urine thallium concentrations were obtained. Prussian blue was started on hospital day (HD) 2. A metal fragment was seen on abdominal x-ray and removed via colonoscopy on HD3. The ingested fragment was analyzed via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and found to be 87.0% elemental thallium. The initial serum thallium concentration obtained on HD1 was 423.5 mcg/L (reference range < 5.1 mcg/L), which subsequently decreased to 4.5 mcg/L, 29 days after the ingestion. An initial random urine thallium concentration obtained on HD 3 was 1850.5 mcg/g creatinine (reference range < 0.4 mcg/g creatinine). The patient remained hospitalized for 23 days and, when seen in follow-up, had not developed any signs or symptoms of thallium toxicity.DiscussionElemental thallium ingestion is a rare toxicologic exposure, with limited published clinical and analytical experience to guide management. This case report describes a patient with ingestion of elemental thallium who developed elevated serum and urine thallium concentrations and was treated with Prussian blue. Despite having elevated serum and urine thallium concentrations consistent with previous fatal exposures, more evidence is needed to understand the differences between elemental thallium and thallium salts.

Investigation of thallium as a contaminant in dietary supplements marketed for weight loss and physical fitness

Dietary supplements are drastically growing as a category of consumer products all over the world. The abuse of supplements marketed for slimming purposes and physical fitness has been observed worldwide in recent years, which raises concerns in terms of public health. In this study, different types of dietary supplements marketed and delivered through the e-commerce were studied for the determination of thallium as a hazardous inorganic contaminant. The total content of thallium was determined by a sensitive voltammetric method after a microwave-assisted oxidative digestion of the sample. In addition, a comparative spectrometric method was applied for validation of the results in the samples. The maximum concentration found for thallium was found to be 2.89 mg kg−1, which well agree with the comparative measurement. Considering the 32 studied formulations, it can be pointed out that ∼24% of the of dietary supplements presented Tl concentrations at concentrations higher than 1 mg kg−1. The results permitted the assessment of the health risk related to thallium from contaminated samples, based on the calculation of the estimated daily intake (EDI) and the risk quotient (HQ). The highest daily intake of thallium was calculated as 82.0 µg day−1 in a protein-based supplement, which is equivalent to an EDI of 1.17 µg kg−1 day−1. This work highlights the need to develop regulations on the limits of toxic elements such as thallium in widely consumed dietary supplements, as well as an in-depth look at the adverse effects caused by this element in the human body.

Time-specific impact of trace metals on breast density of adolescent girls in Santiago, Chile.

Whether trace metals modify breast density, the strongest predictor for breast cancer, during critical developmental stages such as puberty remains understudied. Our study prospectively evaluated the association between trace metals at Tanner breast stage B1 (n = 291) and at stages both B1 and B4 (n = 253) and breast density at 2 years post-menarche among Chilean girls from the Growth and Obesity Cohort Study. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry assessed the volume of dense breast tissue (absolute fibroglandular volume [FGV]) and percent breast density (%FGV). Urine trace metals included arsenic, barium, cadmium, cobalt, cesium, copper, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, antimony, selenium, tin, thallium, vanadium, and zinc. At B1, a doubling of thallium concentration resulted in 13.69 cm3 increase in absolute FGV (β: 13.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.81, 24.52), while a doubling of lead concentration resulted in a 7.76 cm3 decrease in absolute FGV (β: -7.76, 95%CI: -14.71, -0.73). At B4, a doubling of barium concentration was associated with a 10.06 cm3 increase (β: 10.06, 95% CI: 1.44, 18.60), copper concentration with a 12.29 cm3 increase (β: 12.29, 95% CI: 2.78, 21.56), lead concentration with a 9.86 cm3 increase (β: 9.86, 95% CI: 0.73, 18.98), antimony concentration with a 12.97 cm3 increase (β: 12.97, 95% CI: 1.98, 23.79) and vanadium concentration with a 13.14 cm3 increase in absolute FGV (β: 13.14, 95% CI: 2.73, 23.58). Trace metals may affect pubertal breast density at varying developmental stages with implications for increased susceptibility for breast cancer.

Food groups consumption and urinary metal mixtures in women from Northern Mexico

ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the association between food groups and mixtures of urinary metal concentrations in a sample of women; as well as identify the most important metals within each mixture. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional analysis between food groups consumption and mixtures of various metals in urine from 439 women, ≥18 years old, from Northen Mexico. We estimated the dietary intake of 20 food groups through a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Urinary metal concentration of aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, thallium, tin, vanadium, and zinc, were measured by inductively coupled plasma triple quad. We used weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression with binomial family specification to assess the association of food groups and metal mixtures, as well as to identify the most important ones. ResultsWe identified tin, lead, and antimony as the most important metals, in the metal mixtures that were positively associated with the consumption of eggs, non-starchy vegetables, fruits, seafood, corn, oil seeds, chicken, soda, legumes, red and/or processed meats, as well as negatively with the consumption of alliums, corn tortillas and/or vegetable oils. ConclusionOur findings suggest that food consumption is related to more than one metal in the study sample, and highlights the presence of some of them. Further research is required to identify the possible sources of metals in food, as well as the chronic adverse health effects attributed to their simultaneous presence.

Novel Synthesis of radioluminescent CsI:Tl microcrystals under ambient conditions by antisolvent recrystallization method

Thallium doped Cesium Iodide (CsI:Tl) radioluminescent microcrystals are promising candidate for scintillation applications that include medical imaging, nuclear safety and high energy particle detection applications. This paper introduces, for the very first time, an antisolvent recrystallization method to synthesize microcrystals of CsI:Tl. The antisolvent recrystallization method is useful for synthesizing microcrystals at room temperature under atmospheric pressure and humidity conditions with high product yield approaching ∼90 %. The polycrystalline nature of the CsI:Tl microcrystals is confirmed from the X-ray diffraction analysis, wherein the crystallite size is found to be in the range of 20–25 nm. The scanning electron microscopy revealed the size of microcrystals in the range of 1–13 μm. The doping concentration of thallium (with 0.06, 0.10, 0.20, 0.50 and 1.00 mol%) strongly affects the luminescence yield. At higher concentration of doping, a shift towards long wavelength is observed. The strongest luminescence yield is observed in the sample of 0.2 mol% Thallium doping, which is around 76 % of luminescence compared to single crystal of CsI:Tl. This work provides a low-cost alternative to the growth of radioluminescent microcrystals in comparison with the existing single crystal growth approaches.

ION Thallos-HTL: a fluorescent thallium indicator that enables cell-selective and localizable thallium flux assays.

Ion channels are essential proteins for all organisms. Electrophysiology is a useful and commonly employed method to study ion channels, however there is a need for operationally simpler, cost-effective and higher throughput techniques to study ion channel functions in their native environments. Fluorescent ion indicators, such as Fluo-4 and Thallos, have been used for decades to study ion channel activity by measuring the flux of ions through channels of interest. In this work, we present ION Thallos-HTL, a thallium indicator that can be localized using HaloTag technology. This novel indicator enables specific labeling of cells and intracellular compartments in live cells and responds to changes in thallium concentration within these environments. We demonstrate the utility of ION Thallos-HTL by conducting a thallium flux assay using high-throughput instrumentation in a mixed cell population where some cells are expressing HaloTag and some are not.

Determination of Some Heavy Metals in European and Polish Coal Samples.

This work presents coal analyses for heavy metal content (Tl, Cu, Zn, Cd, Fe). The tested coal samples came from a Russian deposit in the Kuzbass Basin (Novosibirsk and Kemerovo Oblasts, near Kazakhstan) and from Poland. The concentration of thallium in coal was determined using DPASV-differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry-and other metals were examined with FAAS, i.e., flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The study confirmed the presence of thallium in the tested coal sample. The coal samples from outside the European Union contained four times more thallium (the maximum content of thallium in coal has been determined to be 0.636 mg·kg-1) than the samples of Polish coal (where the maximum content of thallium was 0.055 mg·kg-1). Cadmium concentration was on average 1.99 mg·kg-1 in the samples from outside the European Union, and 1.2 mg·kg-1 in the samples of Polish coal. Zinc concentration in the samples from outside the European Union was on average 11.27 mg·kg-1, and in the samples of Polish coal approx. 7 mg·kg-1. In addition, iron concentration in all coal samples was determined as 14.96 mg·kg-1, whereas copper concentration in the samples from outside the European Union averaged as 3.96 mg·kg-1. The obtained results do not show any correlation between the presence of thallium and the presence of other metals. It is worth noting that heavy metals pose a threat to living organisms due to their persistence and bioaccumulation, particularly in the context of dust emissions to the atmosphere.

Mobile forms vs the total content of thallium in activated sludge

Mobile forms vs the total content of thallium in activated sludge

Thallium content in vegetables and derivation of threshold for safe food production in soil: A meta-analysis

Soil thallium (Tl) pollution is a serious environmental problem, and vegetables are the primary pathway for human exposure to Tl. Therefore, it is important to investigate the characteristics of soil Tl uptake by vegetables. In this study, the meta-analysis approach was first applied to explore the relationship between Tl content in vegetables and soil environment, as well as key factors influencing soil physical–chemical properties, and to derive soil thresholds for Tl. The results indicated that various types of vegetables have different capabilities for Tl accumulation. Vegetables from contaminated areas showed high Tl accumulation, and the geomean Tl content in different types of vegetables was in the following order: leafy > root–stalk > solanaceous vegetables. Taro and kale had significantly higher capability to accumulate soil Tl among the 35 species studied, with Tl bioconcentration factor values of 0.060 and 0.133, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis and meta-analysis revealed that the Tl content in vegetables was significantly correlated with soil pH and Tl content in soil. The linear predictive model for Tl accumulation in vegetables based on soil Tl content described the data well, and the fitting coefficient R2 increased with soil pH value. According to potential dietary toxicity, the derived soil Tl thresholds for all, leafy and root–stalk vegetables increased with an increase in soil pH, and were in the range of 1.46–6.72, 1.74–5.26 and 0.92–6.06 mg/kg, respectively. The soil Tl thresholds for kale, lettuce and carrot were in the range of 0.24–4.89, 2.94–3.32 and 3.77–14.43 mg/kg, respectively. Ingestion of kale, beet, sweet potato, potato, taro, pepper, turnip, Chinese cabbage, eggplant and carrot poses potential health risks. The study provides scientific guidance for vegetable production in Tl-contaminated areas and can help with the selection of vegetable species suitable for avoiding the absorption of Tl from contaminated soil.

Assessment of levels and health risk of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in selected sachet water packaged from groundwater resources in Ogun State, Nigeria

BackgroundSachet water is a source of affordable drinking water for low-income socioeconomic class. However, contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) could pose severe adverse health risk to consumers. ObjectiveThe present study aimed at assessing the levels and health risk of PTEs in selected sachet water samples packaged from groundwater resources in Ogun State, Nigeria. MethodsA total of 140 bags of selected sachet water brands were purchased and analysed for eleven PTEs (some of which are rarely reported in Nigeria) using inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrophotometer. Recovery experiment was conducted to validate the performance of the used analytical instrument. Blank samples were also run to cancel the matrix effect of the analysing reagents, and to calculate the limit of detection. PTE data were evaluated for simple descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS for Windows. Health risk assessment was conducted for hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI) and cancer risk (CR). ResultsChromium (Cr) was the highest observed PTE in sachet water from Asero (707±1102 µg L−1), Isolu (363±374 µg L−1) and Makun-Shagamu (359±204 µg L−1) sites. The concentrations of Cr were higher than the permissible limit of the World Health Organization in 63% of the sachet water samples. Furthermore, the average contents of lead (Pb) and thallium (Tl) were observed at higher concentrations than the acceptable limits. The HQs exceeding the permissible threshold of 1.0 were observed for silver (Ag), aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), Cr and Tl in 29% of the sachet water consumed by adults and children; indicating adverse health effects. The CRs of Cd and Cr at all the sampling locations, and As at few sites were higher than the acceptable limit of 1 × 10−4; suggesting possible development of cancer by the consumers. ConclusionThe high levels and health risk estimates of PTEs in the sachet water samples suggested unsafe for consumption. Periodic monitoring of PTEs in sachet water from the study area is recommended.

Sex-specific relationships between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and birth weight in a Chinese birth cohort

Birth weight is an indicator linking intrauterine environmental exposures to later-life diseases, and intrauterine metal exposure may affect birth weight in a sex-specific manner. We investigated sex-specific associations between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and birth weight in a Chinese birth cohort. The birth weight of 1296 boys and 1098 girls were recorded, and 10 metals in maternal urine samples collected during pregnancy were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression was used to estimate the association of individual metals or metal mixtures and birth weight for gestational age (BW for GA). The model showed a sex-specific relationship between prenatal exposure to metal mixtures and BW for GA with a significant negative association in girls and a non-significant positive association in boys. Cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) were positively and negatively associated with BW for GA in girls, respectively. Moreover, increasing thallium (Tl) concentration lowered the positive association between Cd and BW for GA and enhanced the negative association between Ni and BW for GA in girls. When exposure to other metals increased, the positive association with Cd diminished, whereas the negative association with Ni or Tl increased. Our findings provide evidence supporting the complex effects of intrauterine exposure to metal mixtures on the birth weight of girls and further highlight the sex heterogeneity in fetal development influenced by intrauterine environmental factors.

Serum levels of chemical elements and carious lesions in children after antitumor therapy

Aim. To study serum concentrations of trace and macro elements and their correlations in children and adolescents after antitumor therapy, depending on the presence or absence of caries.Materials and methods. The study included 98 patients aged 4 to 17 years who were in remission after an antitumor therapy performed for acute leukemia or lymphomas. Patients with carious tooth lesions were included in group 1 (n = 34) and without caries – in group 2 (n = 64). We used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to calculate the content of essential, conditionally essential and toxic elements in blood serum. The median and interquartile range were calculated, the Mann-Whitney U-test was applied to compare groups, and the Kendall rank correlation coefficient (τ) was calculated for tandem elements.Results. In both groups, the concentrations of the studied elements were within the reference ranges. In group 1, compared with group 2, higher concentrations of potassium, arsenic, iodine and boron and lower concentrations of lithium and tungsten (p &lt; 0.05) were noted. There were no differences in the concentration of phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, gold, silver, platinum, aluminum, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, lithium, molybdenum, nickel, rubidium, antimony, tin, vanadium, zinc, zirconium and thallium between the groups. Significant correlation coefficients in both groups were obtained for the iron/manganese tandem (τ = 0.24, p &lt; 0.05). Different values of τ were got for nickel/ manganese, cobalt/iron, manganese/phosphorus, beryllium/lithium tandems: τ = 0.342 and τ = 0.14; τ = 0.363 and τ = 0.033; τ = –0.111 and τ = –0.326; τ = –0.365 and τ = 0.42, respectively, for groups 1 and 2.Conclusion. In patients in remission after antitumor therapy, an association of caries with an increase (within reference values) in the concentration of essential (potassium, iodine) and conditionally essential elements (arsenic, boron), a decrease in the concentration of lithium and tungsten; as well as a change in the ratio of nickel/manganese, cobalt/iron, manganese/ phosphorus and change the direction of the correlation in the beryllium/lithium tandem was revealed.

Changes in Blood Thallium Concentration during and after Prussian Blue Administration

Prussian blue is an antidote for acute thallium poisoning that binds to thallium in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby increasing thallium fecal excretion. However, the effects of Prussian blue monotherapy in humans remain unknown. A 66-year-old male ingested approximately 50 mL of liquid thallium rodenticide (thallium sulfate: 2%), a lethal dose, and presented to our hospital 40 hours after ingestion. The initial laboratory test results were normal. On the second day of admission, oral Prussian blue ordered from outside the hospital was started at a dose of 3 g every eight hours, and the whole blood thallium concentration was measured on consecutive days using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. On the fourth day, however, he complained of respiratory discomfort, and moderate acute respiratory distress syndrome was diagnosed via chest computed tomography (CT) scan and PaO2/FiO2 ratio. Endotracheal intubation was performed, and Prussian blue was discontinued because of medical costs. The patient died of respiratory failure on the ninth day after admission. The half-life of thallium in whole blood was 53 h under Prussian blue administration.

Ameliorative effects of dietary selenium against cadmium toxicity on production performance and egg quality in laying hens

In order to reveal the influences of supplemented dietary selenium (Se) on the suppressive effect of cadmium (Cd) toxicity on performance and egg properties of laying hens, the effects of co-treatment Se and Cd on the performance, egg quality, levels of amino acids and the antioxidant capacity of egg and serum were investigated. A total of 128 31-week-old laying hens were randomly distributed in four treatments, which were fed with the basic diet (0.2 mg/kg Se and 0.08 mg/kg Cd), and the basic diet with Se (1.1 mg/kg Se and 0.08 mg/kg Cd), Cd (0.2 mg/kg Se and 92.1 mg/kg Cd) and Se+Cd for 13 weeks, respectively. Hens supplemented with Cd led to an impairment on production performance and egg quality with decreased egg production (EP), egg mass (EM), feed intake (FI), eggshell color, eggshell thickness, yolk color, albumen height and haugh unit and increased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p < 0.05). Cd treatment decreased the contents of cysteine (Cys), histidine (His), lithium (Li), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), Se, strontium (Sr), stannum (Sn), mercury (Hg) and thallium (Tl) and increased the contents of isoleucine (Ile) and Cd (p < 0.05). Cd destroyed the egg yolk and serum redox states with the increased concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the decreased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (p < 0.05). The expression levels of ovarian apoptotic genes (protein 53, Caspase9, Cytochrome c and Bcl-2 associated X protein) increased, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression decreased in the Cd group (p < 0.05). Feeding Se significantly alleviated Cd-induced toxicity on performance and egg quality. Se+Cd treatment restored the balance between oxidation and antioxidant systems and modulated the elements' homeostasis and alleviated the changes in apoptotic-related genes expression levels. Se could alleviate the Cd toxicity to laying hens and their eggs but could not counteract all negative effects of Cd.

The Influence of Heavy Metals on Gastric Tumorigenesis.

Objectives This study aimed to observe the relationship among heavy metals concentration, microsatellite instability (MSI), and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) gene amplification in gastric cancer (GC) patients. Methods The concentrations of 18 heavy metals in the plasma of GC patients and healthy controls were measured by inductive coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-MS). MSI detection was conducted by detecting 5 microsatellite repeat markers by PCR analysis. HER2 gene amplification was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The relationship among heavy metal elements, tumor biomarkers, HER2 amplification, and MSI status was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results A total of 105 GC patients and 62 healthy controls were recruited in this study. The concentration of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cuprum (Cu), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), stibium (Sb), selenium (Se), stannum (Sn), strontium (Sr), thallium (Tl), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) were significantly different between GC patients and controls. Among 105 GC patients, including 87 microsatellite-stable (MSS) samples and 18 MSI samples, the concentration of Ga is significantly higher in the MSI group than that in the MSS group. Meanwhile, in 97 GC patients having detected HER2 gene amplification, 69 of 97 had negative HER2 gene amplification and the rest 28 GC patients had positive HER2 gene amplification. The concentration of Hg, Sn, and Tl is noticeably higher in the HER2 positive group than in the HER2 negative group. Only Sb was positively correlated with MSI, but none of these heavy metals was correlated with HER2 gene amplification. Conclusions The results indicated that Sb has significant positive correlation with the MSI status, which suggests that Sb may cause MSI in GC. However, further research studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms in the near feature.

Plasma Thallium Concentration, Kidney Function, Nephrotoxicity and Graft Failure in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

The nephrotoxic effects of heavy metals have gained increasing scientific attention in the past years. Recent studies suggest that heavy metals, including cadmium, lead, and arsenic, are detrimental to kidney transplant recipients (KTR) even at circulating concentrations within the normal range, posing an increased risk for graft failure. Thallium is another highly toxic heavy metal, yet the potential consequences of the circulating thallium concentrations in KTR are unclear. We measured plasma thallium concentrations in 672 stable KTR enrolled in the prospective TransplantLines Food and Nutrition Biobank and Cohort Study using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In cross-sectional analyses, plasma thallium concentrations were positively associated with kidney function measures and hemoglobin. We observed no associations of thallium concentration with proteinuria or markers of tubular damage. In prospective analyses, we observed no association of plasma thallium with graft failure and mortality during a median follow-up of 5.4 [interquartile range: 4.8 to 6.1] years. In conclusion, in contrast with other heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic, there is no evidence of tubular damage or thallium nephrotoxicity for the range of circulating thallium concentrations observed in this study. This is further evidenced by the absence of associations of plasma thallium with graft failure and mortality in KTR.

Behavioral, physiological, and inflammatory responses of Oreochromis niloticus fish exposed to thallium and/or supplementation with Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharides

The present study was conducted to investigate the behavioral, biochemical, and molecular responses of Oreochromis niloticus fish exposed to sublethal concentration of thallium (T1; 1/10th of 96-h LC50 = 41.9 μg/L) for 60 days. The beneficial role of Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharides (ASP) as a dietary supplement (0.15% and 0.30% diet) in attenuating the resulted alterations was also studied. T1 increased the agressive behaviuor of fish in asociasion with reduction of brain levels of serotonine, GABA and amino acids neurotransmitters. Moreover, the activities of Na+/K+-ATPase and acetylcholine esterases (AchE) were reduced following exposure to T1. T1 also diminsh the catalase (CAT) activity in the brain while elevated the content of oxidative stress markers (protein carbonyl; PC and malondialdhyde; MDA) and DNA damage variables together with overexpressions of the TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-1β and stress related genes (P53, Caspase-3 and HSP70) in the brain of fish. In addition, T1 exposure upregulated the expressions of stress related genes, P53, Caspase-3 and HSP70 in the brain. Co-supplementation of ASP (especially at 0.30% diet) with T1 significantly ameliorated the toxic effects of the trace metal. The observasions of the present study indicated the neuroprotective activity of ASP represented by antioxidant, antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory events evoked by ASP in T1-exposed fish. In conclusion, the supplementation of O. niloticus diet with ASP might be a promising step for reducing the stress of pollution and keeping the behavior pattern and health of the fish.