SIMULTANEOUS DETERMINATIONS OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN SERA OF PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION BY PIXE

Using PIXE we determined concentrations of iron, nickel, copper, zinc, selenium, and rubidium in sera of 24 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 12 healthy controls. Rubidium*, selenium*, zinc**, nickel** and iron** concentrations are significantly (P<0.001*, P<0.01**) lower for patients than for control subjects. No significant difference is observed in the copper content. However, there is a slight increase in copper content in the patients so that the ratios Cu/Rb, Cu/Se, Cu/Zn, Cu/Ni, Cu/Fe are significantly higher for the patients than for the control subjects (P<0.01).