Manganese and selenium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of seriously ill children.

BACKGROUND: The homeostasis of essential trace elements such as selenium and manganese may be altered in patients with severe diseases of various etiologies (trauma brain injuries, tumors, leukemias, lymphomas, neurological diseases). METHODS: Concentration of manganese and selenium were determined in cerebrospinal fluid by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry in 50 hospitalized children with various clinical ethiologies including oncological, neurological, and brain related diseases. RESULTS: The concentrations of manganese in cerebrospinal fluid of children were 0.97±0.67 µg/L. The concentrations of selenium were 13.3±3.5 µg/L. The concentrations were similar as published in adults. The values did not correlated with the age, gender and severity of the disease. CONCLUSION: We evaluated values of selenium and manganese in cerebrospinal fluid of seriously diseased children.

A comparison of the acute effects of calcium and strontium ranelate on the serum marker of bone resorption.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the mechanism by which strontium ranelate (SrR) inhibits the bone resorption, this study compared the effects of SrR and calcium on parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the biochemical marker of bone resorption (serum type 1 collagen cross-linked C-telopeptide, ßCTX). METHODS: In 10 healthy young subjects, after overnight fasting, 1000 mg of elemental calcium and 2000 mg of SrR containing 600 mg Sr²âº were administered consecutively with a 1 week washout period. During the control period no drug was given. Fasting blood samples were drawn at baseline and throughout the next 5-h period. RESULTS: After the ingestion of either calcium or SrR, there was a significant increase in serum calcium and strontium concentrations, and a decrease in serum ßCTX and intact PTH concentrations as compared to the baseline values (p<0.05). In the fasting subjects, no significant differences in the variable were found as compared to the baseline values. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in PTH and the marker of bone resorption observed after the SrR administration is comparable to the decrease observed after the calcium administration in young adults.