Concentration of heavy metals and rare earth elements in patients with brain tumours: Analysis in tumour tissue, non-tumour tissue, and blood

Abstract

Inorganic elements have been associated with brain tumours for long. The blood concentration of 47 elements was assessed by ICP-MS in 26 brain tumour patients and 21 healthy subjects from Bucharest (Romania). All 47 elements were detected in the brain tumour tissue, and 22 were detected in > 80% of samples; this implies that these elements can cross the blood-brain barrier. Median blood levels of cadmium, lead, and nickel were higher than the reference values (1.14, 53.3, and 2.53 ng/mL). Gadolinium and tantalum showed significantly higher concentrations among cases. We observed considerable differences and different profiles of the presence of inorganic elements between the tumour and non-tumour brain tissue and between tissue from the primary tumour and tissue from brain metastasis. Our data suggest that similar to heavy metals, other elements–commonly used in high tech devices and rare earth elements–can also influence brain tumour.