Medical application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for assessment of trace element and mineral in biosamples: Laboratory and clinical validity of the method

BACKGROUND

Biomedical application is based on the use of LIBS-derived data on chemical contents of tissues in diagnosis of diseases, forensic investigation, as well as a mechanism for providing online feedback for laser surgery. Although LIBS has certain advantages, the issue of correlation of LIBS-derived data on chemical element content in different human and animal tissues with other methods, and especially ICP-MS, remains pertinent. The objective of the present review was to discuss the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for elemental analysis of human biosamples or tissues from experimental models of human diseases.

METHODS

A systematic search in the PubMed-Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using the terms laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, LIBS, metals, trace elements, minerals, and names of particular chemical elements was performed up through 25 February, 2023. Of all extracted studies only those dealing with human subjects, human tissues, in vivo animal and in vitro cell line models of human diseases were reviewed in detail.

RESULTS

The majority of studies revealed a wide number of metals and metalloids in solid tissues including teeth (As, Ag, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Ni, P, Pb, Sn, Sr, Ti, and Zn), bones (Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, K, Mg, Na, Pb, Sr), and nails (Al, As, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, Pb, Si, Sr, Ti, Zn). At the same time, LIBS was also used for estimation of trace element and mineral content in hair (Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Zn), blood (Al, Ca, Co, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Si, Sn, Zn), cancer tissues (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, K, Na, Zn) and other tissues. Single studies revealed satisfactory correspondence between quantitative LIBS and ICP-OES/MS data on the level of As (81-93 %), Pb (94-98 %), Cd (50-94 %) in teeth, Cu (97-105 %), Fe (117 %), Zn (88-117 %) in hair, Ca (97-99 %), Zn (90-95 %), and Pb (61-82 %) in kidney stones. LIBS also estimated specific patterns of trace element and mineral content associated with multiple pathologies, including caries, cancer, skin disorders, and other systemic diseases including diabetes mellitus type 2, osteoporosis, hypothyroidism, etc. Data obtained from in situ tissue LIBS analysis were profitably used for discrimination between tissue types.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the existing data demonstrate the applicability of LIBS for medical studies, although further increase in its sensitivity, calibration range, cross-validation, and quality control is required.

Study of Extraction Equilibria in the Reaction of Alkaline Hydrolysis of Activated Amino Acid Esters / Badanie Równowag Ekstrakcji W Reakcji Zasadowej Hydrolizy Aktywowanych Estrów Aminokwasów

Correlation between observed kinetic effects of phase-transfer catalytic reaction of the alkaline hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl ester of N-benzyloxycarbonylglycine-4 in the two-phase system chloroform-borate buffer pH = 10 and a content of ionic forms of catalyst was investigated. The phosphonium salts QX (X = Cl¯, Br¯, I¯) shows high catalytic reactivity. Dependence of the reaction kinetics discussed in the framework of the extraction mechanism with a competitive extraction of a nucleophile ОН¯, nucleofuge 4-NO2C6H4O¯ and anion X¯ of the phase-transfer catalyst.

[Multiple gliosarcoma metastases in the cauda equina roots]

The authors report a rare a case of gliosarcoma metastases in a 28-year-old male patient. The cauda equina roots were involved after brain tumor 16 months ago, which, on microscopic study, had a biphasic pattern and heterogeneous staining in the reaction with antibody to GFAP and vimentin; the tumor cells did not express EMA, EA, and desmin. Gliosarcoma was diagnosed, by taking into account morphological and immunohistochemical data. Tumor tissue of the cauda equine roots had the same immunophenotype as the brain tumor with a predominance of glial component, which permitted the source of metastases to be ascertained.

[Apoptosis and micro- and macroelement composition of lymphocytes in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis]

The paper describes the results of comparatively analyzing the parameters of apoptosis, micro- and macroelement spectrum of peripheral blood lymphocytes in healthy donors and in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary tuberculosis. In drug-responsive and drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis, unidirectional pretreatment changes were generally recorded in the activity of apoptosis and the spectrum of chemical elements of peripheral blood lymphocytes, which were most pronounced after completion of a phase of intensive antituberculosis chemotherapy. After termination of a complete course of the therapy, apoptotic activity lowered with the cationic composition of cells being normalized. The parameters differentiating pulmonary tuberculosis from COPD were ascertained, these included increases in the count of apoptotic cells and the cell concentrations of Ca2+, Zn2+, and Mg2+.

[Assessment of diet of students from Orenburg region]

The article this research is devoted to the Orenburg student youth diet. The revealed deficiency of major nutrients (protein, fats and especially carbohydrates), as vitamins (C, PP, E, D, B groups) and analysis of diet ration concerning basis nourishing components, vitamins, macro- micro elements (Zn, Cu, I, Cr, Se).

Effects of ultralow doses of antibodies to prostate-specific antigen on morphological and functional state of rat prostate

Morphological and morphometric assays showed that administration of antibodies to the prostate-specific antigen in ultralow doses for 1.5 months delayed the development of atrophic and sclerotic processes in rats with chronic aseptic prostatitis. The concentration of zinc ions playing an important role in binding of androgens increased in the prostate of rats receiving the preparation. Studies of copulatory behavior showed that male rats with chronic prostatitis receiving antibodies to the prostate-specific antigen displayed increased sexual activity compared to control and intact animals.

[Comparative assessment of diagnostic methods in adenomas of the thyroid gland]

The authors carried out comparative assessment of sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonic examination with color dopper mapping (USE with CDM), thin-needle aspiration biopsy--TAB (palpation- and US-assisted), express histologic examination--(EHE), intraoperative laser autofluorescent spectroscopy (IOLAS) with retrospective assessment by results of elective histologic examination in adenomas of thyroid gland (TG). Medical histories of 135 patients hospitalized with adenomas of TG of follicular cells were analyzed. Based on comparison of USE with CDM and morphologic analysis of TG adenomas three types of specific echographic symptomcomplexes were recognized. USE with CDM in combination with US-assisted TAB was the most effective diagnostic complex before operation. Comparative analysis of results of these methods with express histologic examination showed equal efficacy, that permitted to reject routene EHE. For the first time IOLAS was used as "optic instant-biopsy" for selection of optimum scope of surgery when "follicular neoplasia" was suspected. Combined use of USE with CDM and TAB before operation as well as IOLAS enabled correct diagnosis of the nature of TG lesion, it morphologic type, and based on these data adegnatechoice.

Inhibition of 2,4-dinitrophenol-induced potassium efflux by adenine nucleotides in mitochondria

The influence of nucleotides on 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP)-induced K+ efflux from intact rat liver mitochondria has been studied. ATP and ADP at micromolar concentrations were found to inhibit mitochondrial potassium transport, whereas GTP, GDP, CTP, and UTP did not show tha same effect. The values of half-maximal inhibition (IC50) were approximately 20 microM for ATP and approximately 60 microM for ADP. It is suggested that adenine nucleotides exert their inhibitory action at the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane since the inhibitor of adenine nucleotide translocase atractyloside at concentration of 1 microM completely removed the inhibitory effect of ATP and ADP. The mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor oligomycin (2 microg/ml) was found to reduce slightly the rate of DNP-induced K+ efflux and had no effect on inhibition by adenine nucleotides; the latter was insensitive to Mg2+ and the changes in pH. It seems likely that the regulation of potassium transport is not due to phosphorylation of the channel-forming protein but to binding of the nucleotides in specific regulatory sites. The possibility of potassium efflux from mitochondria in the presence of uncoupler via the ATP-dependent potassium channel is discussed.

[Comparative study of Hashimoto thyroiditis and "focal thyroiditis"]

As shown by a semiquantitative analysis of histological changes in the thyroid tissue, there is a correlation between some characteristic features of autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis). Formation of lymphoid nodules in the thyroid in autoimmune thyroiditis was followed up and its three stages were distinguished. Autoimmune thyroiditis has three degrees of activity by diffuse lymphoid-plasmocytic infiltration, thyroid tissue destruction and lymphoid nodules formation. Differences between autoimmune thyroiditis and focal thyroiditis are revealed. The above differences include spread and cellular composition, content of the lymphoid-plasmocytic infiltrate, the degree of the destructive changes, B-cell hyperplasia, expression of CD-4 on T-helpers and CD-19 on B-lymphocytes, cytological picture. These differences allow differential diagnosis between these diseases.

[Malignant retroperitoneal neurilemmoma]

Malignant retroperitoneal neurilemmoma has developed in a female of 50 and reached a huge size (40 x 30 x 15 cm, weight 5 kg). Histologically, there were signs of atypia and penetration into the stomach wall. The attempts to separate a tumor resulted in a massive bleeding.