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Biol Trace Elem Res (2009) 132:918
DOI 10.1007/s12011-009-8380-3
Vassiliki S. Panteli & Dimitra G. Kanellopoulou & Sotirios P. Gartaganis & Petros G. Koutsoukos
Received: 18 December 2008 /Accepted: 6 April 2009 /
Published online: 25 April 2009# Humana Press Inc. 2009
Abstract Anodic stripping voltammetric (ASV) procedure, using mercury film electrode, was optimized and applied to determine the concentrations of zinc, cadmium, and copper in the aqueous humor. Concentration levels as low as 1 ppb of the test metals was possible to be detected using short electrolysis times (120 s) and microquantities of aqueous humor (up to 35 L). As a first application of the voltammetric analysis of trace metals in the aqueous humor, the role of the three selected trace elements in the pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome was examined. Samples from aqueous humor were collected during cataract extraction from patients with and without PEX. The zinc and copper concentration levels in the aqueous humor did not show statistically significant difference in the study and control group. Cadmium was detected in a small number of samples, without however statistical differences between the two groups. ASV proved to be a highly precise and sensitive tool for the quantification of heavy metal ions in aqueous humor. Further studies may lead to useful conclusions for the role of zinc, copper, or cadmium in PEX syndrome.
Keywords Aqueous humor . Pseudoexfoliation . Anodic stripping voltammetry . Zinc . Cadmium . Copper
Introduction
Pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome is a common age-related disease characterized by production and accumulation of an abnormal fibrillar extracellular material in many ocular and extraocular tissues. PEX syndrome is a major risk factor for open-angle glaucoma and
V. S. Panteli : S. P. Gartaganis
Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
D. G. Kanellopoulou : P. G. Koutsoukos (*)
Department of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Patras and FORTH-ICEHT, Karatheodori 1 Str., University Campus, GR26504 Patras, Greecee-mail: [email protected]
Application of Anodic Stripping Voltammetry for Zinc, Copper, and Cadmium Quantificationin the Aqueous Humor: Implicationsof Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome
10 Panteli et al.
therefore blindness [1]. The characteristic tissue alterations frequently imply a special management of these patients and also explain the wide range of complications that occur in all intraocular surgery, especially cataract...