DETERMINATION OF URINARY TRACE-ELEMENTS (AS, HG, ZN, PB, SE) IN PATIENTS WITH BLACKFOOT-DISEASE

An endemic peripheral vascular disorder resulting in gangrene of the l ower extremities, especially of the feet, is called 'Blackfoot disease (BFD)'. Clinically, the symptoms and signs of Blackfoot disease are s imilar to those of Buerger's disease. In this study, the objective is to examine the amount of arsenic, mercury, zinc, lead, and selenium in urine samples from BFD patients. After pre-treatment with acids, the samples were digested by means of a microwave oven. The determination of arsenic mercury, zinc, lead and selenium were by hydride atomic abs orption spectrometry (HAAS), cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), graphite furnac e absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), respectively. The results indicated that urinary arsenic, mercury and lead of the BFD patients were signi ficantly higher than those of the normal controls, while urinary zinc and selenium were significantly lower than those of the normal control s. The possibility that these elements are involved in the etiology of diseases is discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.