Diagnostic Usefulness of Trace Arsenic in Human Urine, Whole Blood, Hair and Fingernails

尿液、全血、頭髮和指甲中微量砷含量在實驗診斷上之可用性研究

林賢美(Shan-Meei Lin)

《The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences》 2卷2期 (1986/02) Pp. 100-113

https://doi.org/10.6452/KJMS.198602.0100

摘要

本研究旨在探討正常人與砷露者不同檢體（尿液、全血、頭髮和指甲）中含砷量之變化情況，以尋求做為臨床實驗診斷砷露指標之可行性。部份檢體採按月追踪方式，頭髮則採分段方式分析，其結果如下：
1.全血：
由於砷在全血中之消除速率很快，全血砷含量僅適於砷暴露之立即分析使用。暴露至取樣之期間很重要。此外，全血砷含量極低，不易分析。因此全血砷含量不是慢性砷暴露之良好指標。
2.尿液：
尿中砷很久以來即被當作砷暴露之指標。但有許多因素，如飲食，暴露至取樣之期間，使尿中總砷量作為暴露指標之可用性趨於複雜化。以尿中總砷量作為砷暴露之指標時，飲食習慣應詳加問診。因為食用含砷量高之海產，會導致尿中總含砷量升高；但尿中之無機砷，單甲基砷和二甲基砷並未因此而升高。本研究因此強調在分析中砷含量時，應各別分析其中之無機砷和有機砷。
3.頭髮：
頭髮可提供較佳之正常含量檢測之用，乃因其可將短期內之變化加以平均。頭髮也提供較長期砷變化之數據，這可由頭髮之分段分析法或按月採樣而獲得。此外，頭髮組成均勻，不易變質，因此不但可將現在之砷狀態加以記錄，也可由回溯法求得過去某特定期間之暴露情形。頭髮之砷含量比血液高很多，較容易分析。因此頭髮是相當良好之暴露指標。
4.指甲：
指甲中之砷含量比體內其他組織高。它是一種相當靈敏之砷暴露指標。但由於砷在指甲中之代謝情所知有限，其可能之外在污染亦不十分清楚，因此以指甲當作砷暴露之指標尚需進一步研究。

並列摘要

Because of rapid clearance of arsenic in the blood after an accidental exposure, it is important to check the blood arsenic level as soon as possible after exposure. In cases of chronic exposure, however, the blood arsenic level is usually so low that substantial analytical problems will probably be met. Blood arsenic level, therefore, cannot be regarded as an indicator of chronic exposure. Instead, urine arsenic level was used as an index of exposure, although a lot of factors, such as diets and the interval between exposure and urine sampling, might complicate it. For example, ingestion of sea food, which is rich in organic arsenic, often results in a high concentration of arsenic in urine. In the present study, the author tried to separate the organic and inorganic arsenicals in urine before assay, to prevent or to decrease the influence of dietary arsenic.
Assessment of arsenic content in hair is another and still a better indication of arsenic long-term exposure. Hair is chemically an inert and homogeneous substance, so it is itself a continuous record of previous and present arsenic level in the body. Furthermore, the content of arsenic is higher in hair than in blood. Hence, hair is a good medium for monitoring body arsenic.
The arsenic content in fingernails is also high. But , the value of the assessment of fingernail content as an indicator of chronic arsenic exposure remains to be determined.

並列關鍵字

trace arsenic ； indicator of arsenic exposure ； diagnostic usefulness