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Kosińska A, Mrózek M, Łopyta-Mirocha M, Tomsia M. The smallest traces of crime: Trace elements in forensic science. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2024; 86:127527. [PMID: 39288558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2024.127527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Securing the evidence in various investigative situations is often associated with trace analysis, including fingerprints or blood groups. However, when classic and conventional methods fail, trace elements, such as copper, zinc, fluorine, and many others found in exceedingly insignificant amounts in organisms, may prove useful and effective. METHODS The presented work reviews articles published between 2003 and 2023, describing the use of trace elements and the analytical methods employed for their analysis in forensic medicine and related sciences. RESULTS & CONCLUSION Trace elements can be valuable as traces collected at crime scenes and during corpse examination, aiding in determining characteristics like the sex or age of the deceased. Additionally, trace elements levels in the body can serve as alcohol or drug poisoning markers. In traumatology, trace elements enable the identification of various instruments and the injuries caused by their use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Kosińska
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Medyków 18 Street, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
| | - Marcella Mrózek
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Medyków 18 Street, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
| | - Marta Łopyta-Mirocha
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Medyków 18 Street, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
| | - Marcin Tomsia
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Medyków 18 Street, Katowice 40-752, Poland.
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Gadolinium and Bio-Metal Association: A Concentration Dependency Tested in a Renal Allograft and Investigated by Micro-Synchrotron XRF. J Imaging 2022; 8:jimaging8100254. [PMID: 36286348 PMCID: PMC9605041 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging8100254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to investigate gadolinium (Gd) and bio-metals in a renal allograft of a patient who was shortly after transplantation repeatedly exposed to a Gd-based contrast agent (GBCA), with the purpose of determining whether Gd can be proven and spatially and quantitatively imaged. Further elemental associations between Gd and bio-metals were also investigated. Materials and Methods: Archival paraffin-embedded kidney tissue (eight weeks after transplantation) was investigated by microscopic synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (µSRXRF) at the DORIS III storage ring, beamline L, at HASYLAB/DESY (Hamburg, Germany). For the quantification of elements, X-ray spectra were peak-fitted, and the net peak intensities were normalized to the intensity of the incoming monochromatic beam intensity. Concentrations were calculated by fundamental parameter-based program quant and external standardization. Results: Analysis of about 15,000 µSRXRF spectra (comprising allograft tissue of four cm2) Gd distribution could be quantitatively demonstrated in a near histological resolution. Mean Gd resulted in 24 ± 55 ppm with a maximum of 2363 ppm. The standard deviation of ±55 ppm characterized the huge differences in Gd and not in detection accuracy. Gd was heterogeneously but not randomly distributed and was mostly found in areas with interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Concentrations of all other investigated elements in the allograft resembled those found in normal kidney tissue. No correlations between Gd and bio-metals such as calcium, strontium or zinc below ~40 ppm Gd existed. In areas with extremely high Gd, Gd was associated with iron and zinc. Conclusions: We could show that no dose-dependent association between Gd and bio-metals exists—least in renal tissue—at Gd concentrations below ~40 ppm Gd. This was proven compared with a GBCA-exposed end-stage renal failure in which the mean Gd was ten-fold higher. Our results could shed additional light on Gd metabolism.
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Staufer T, Schulze ML, Schmutzler O, Körnig C, Welge V, Burkhardt T, Vietzke JP, Vogelsang A, Weise JM, Blatt T, Dabrowski O, Falkenberg G, Brückner D, Sanchez-Cano C, Grüner F. Assessing Cellular Uptake of Exogenous Coenzyme Q 10 into Human Skin Cells by X-ray Fluorescence Imaging. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11081532. [PMID: 36009252 PMCID: PMC9405069 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11081532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging is a highly sensitive non-invasive imaging method for detection of small element quantities in objects, from human-sized scales down to single-cell organelles, using various X-ray beam sizes. Our aim was to investigate the cellular uptake and distribution of Q10, a highly conserved coenzyme with antioxidant and bioenergetic properties. Q10 was labeled with iodine (I2-Q10) and individual primary human skin cells were scanned with nano-focused beams. Distribution of I2-Q10 molecules taken up inside the screened individual skin cells was measured, with a clear correlation between individual Q10 uptake and cell size. Experiments revealed that labeling Q10 with iodine causes no artificial side effects as a result of the labeling procedure itself, and thus is a perfect means of investigating bioavailability and distribution of Q10 in cells. In summary, individual cellular Q10 uptake was demonstrated by XRF, opening the path towards Q10 multi-scale tracking for biodistribution studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Staufer
- Universität Hamburg and Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL), Institute for Experimental Physics, Faculty for Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Mirja L. Schulze
- Research and Development, Beiersdorf AG, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Schmutzler
- Universität Hamburg and Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL), Institute for Experimental Physics, Faculty for Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Körnig
- Universität Hamburg and Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL), Institute for Experimental Physics, Faculty for Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Vivienne Welge
- Research and Development, Beiersdorf AG, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Burkhardt
- Research and Development, Beiersdorf AG, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jens-Peter Vietzke
- Research and Development, Beiersdorf AG, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Vogelsang
- Research and Development, Beiersdorf AG, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Julia M. Weise
- Research and Development, Beiersdorf AG, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Blatt
- Research and Development, Beiersdorf AG, Unnastrasse 48, 20245 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Dabrowski
- Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP), Center for Applied Nanotechnology (CAN), Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gerald Falkenberg
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dennis Brückner
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carlos Sanchez-Cano
- DIPC, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Plaza de Euskadi 5, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Florian Grüner
- Universität Hamburg and Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL), Institute for Experimental Physics, Faculty for Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
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