Impact of mechanical vascular injury on whole blood and plasma concentrations of trace elements and electrolytes in patients with coronary heart disease

Concentrations of the seven trace elements-cobalt (Co), cesium (Cs), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr), and zinc (Zn)-were determi ned in 76 whole blood and 76 plasma samples of patients with coronary heart disease undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) b y inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Additionally. concentration s of iron (Fe) and the electrolytes sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium ( Mg), and calcium (Ca) in the plasma of these patients were determined. To i nvestigate the impact of PTCA on the concentrations of these elements, bloo d and plasma samples were collected 4-12 hours prior to (n = 16) and 24-30 hours after(n = 60) the clinical intervention. Concentrations for Rb and Cs in whole blood and plasma decreased after PTCA, but remained within the no rmal ranges reported for healthy adults. Concentrations of Co in whole bloo d and plasma were higher than the reported reference ranges and decreased s ignificantly (P < 0.0001) in the plasma after the clinical intervention. Pl asma Fe prior to PTCA was in the middle of the reference range and decrease d significantly (P < 0.001) after PTCA to the very low end of the normal ra nge. All blood Cu concentrations were at the lower end of the normal range and did not change during the clinical intervention. Concentrations of all other elements in the plasma and whole blood of our patients were within th e normal ranges for healthy adults and remained unchanged. J. Trace Elem. E xp. Med. 13:185-194, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.