APPLICATION OF SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION TO THE PRECONCENTRATION OF METALLOTHIONEIN AND METALS FROM PHYSIOLOGICAL FLUIDS

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) with covalent affinity chromatography wit h thiol-disulphide interchange (CAC-TDI) gels as sorbents were used fo r the preconcentration of Cd-thionein (Cd-Th), Zn-thionein (Zn-Th) and Cu-thionein (Cu-Th) proteins and Cd, Zn or Cu bonded with metallothio neins (MTs) from water, plasma and human urine samples. An indirect me thod of quantitation of MTs, based on the analysis of metal content, f or the determination of MT in human body fluids is described. In exper iments, different types of CAC-TDI gels were tested. The results showe d a satisfactory correlation between the concentration of MT proteins added to water or physiological fluids and the concentration of protei n indirectly determined via the concentration of metals by atomic abso rption spectrometry.