APPLICATION OF COVALENT AFFINITY-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH THIOL-DISULFIDE INTERCHANGE FOR QUANTITATIVE-DETERMINATION OF HG-THIONEIN AND CD-THIONEIN IN HUMAN PLASMA BY INDIRECT METHOD BASED ON ANALYSIS OF METAL CONTENTS

The aim of our investigation was to carry out quantitative isolation o f metallothionein (MT) in human body fluids in order to determine the level of exposition to heavy metals. Covalent affinity chromatography with thiol-disulphide interchange gel (CAC-TDI) was used as a solid ph ase extraction (SPE) support for preconcentration of Hg-thionein (Hg-T h) and Cd-thionein (Cd-Tn) proteins and Hg and Cd bonded with MT from spiked water and human plasma samples. The results showed satisfactory correlation between the concentration of MTs protein added to water o r hu man plasma and the concentration of protein indirectly determined via the atomic absorption spectrometric (AAS) method, by preconcentra tion by the SPE-covalent affinity chromatography technique and calcula ted from the metal concentration. The present paper is a continuation of early experiments on quantitation of Hg-thionein and Cd-thionein in human urine.