Spatially resolved quantification of gadolinium deposited in the brain of a patient treated with gadolinium-based contrast agents

Publication date: January 2018 Source:Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, Volume 45 Author(s): Stefanie Fingerhut, Ann-Christin Niehoff, Michael Sperling, Astrid Jeibmann, Werner Paulus, Thomas Niederstadt, Thomas Allkemper, Walter Heindel, Markus Holling, Uwe Karst Due to its paramagnetic properties resulting from seven unpaired f-electrons, Gd is frequently applied in magnetic resonance imaging examinations. Due to the acute toxicity of free Gd3+, ligand ions based on polyaminocarboxylic acids are used to create thermodynamically stable linear or macrocyclic complexes. The highly water soluble Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are known to be excreted fast and unmetabolized, mostly via the kidneys. Nevertheless, recent studies showed that Gd traces persists not only in animal but also in human brain. Aim of this study was the development and application of an analytical method for the spatially resolved quantification of gadolinium traces in human brain thin sections of a patient treated with GBCAs. For this retrospective study different human brain regions were selected to analyze the distribution of gadolinium. An additional patient served as control sample, as no GBCA was administered. Deep-frozen brain thin sections were analyzed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) and matrix-matched gelatin standards were prepared to quantify the gadolinium deposits via an external calibration. LA-ICP-MS analyses with...
Source: Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology - Category: Biochemistry Source Type: research