METAL ANALYSIS BY PIXE IN THE LIVER TISSUE FROM PATIENTS WITH LIVER DISEASES

We used the particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectrometry to perform elemental analysis of liver biopsy materials from patients with three different kinds of liver diseases; acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. We compared the Cu/Fe and Zn/Fe concentration ratios in these different liver diseases. There was no significant difference in the ratios because of the kind of liver disease. However, we found a positive correlation between the Cu/Fe concentration ratio and both serum GOT (glutamate oxalacetic transaminase) and GPT (glutamate pyruvate transaminase) levels in 14 patients with liver diseases.