NEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSIS EFFICIENTLY MEASURES THE CONCENTRATION OFTRACE-ELEMENTS IN ENDOSCOPIC BIOPSIES FROM THE NORMAL AND INFLAMED HUMAN COLON

Trace element metabolism is altered in inflammatory bowel disease, but the concentrations of trace elements in the intestinal mucosa have no t yet been investigated. We evaluated the trace element profile in hum an colon and the influence of mucosal inflammation. During colonoscopy , biopsies were taken from the colon of 23 ulcerative colitis patients , 15 of whom had active disease and seven control patients. Zinc, iron , and selenium were successfully assayed by neutron activation analysi s in as much tissue as was contained in three perendoscopic colonic bi opsies. Patients with ulcerative colitis had significantly lower zinc and selenium tissue concentrations and higher iron concentrations than control patients. Zinc and iron concentrations were even altered more in the presence of active disease. Ulcerative colitis is associated w ith an impaired metabolism of trace elements, even at the mucosal leve l. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.