Clinical Chemistry, Vol 17, 1123-1128, Copyright © 1971 by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry

Abnormal Concentrations of Nickel in Serum in Cases of Myocardial Infarction, Stroke, Burns, Hepatic Cirrhosis, and Uremia

¹ University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Newington, Conn. 06111, and New Britain General Hospital, New Britain, Conn. 06052.

Nickel concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry in sera. The mean concentration of nickel in sera of 47 healthy adults was 2.6 SD ± 0.8) µg/liter. Abnormally high mean concentrations (µg/liter) of serum nickel were found in patients with: (a) acute myocardial infarction (13-36 h after onset), mean = 5.2 ± 2.8, N = 33, P <0.001; (b) acute stroke (37-72 h after onset), mean = 4.5, N = 12, P <0.005; and (c) acute burns (>25% body surface, 37-72 h after injury), mean = 7.2, N = 3, range = 4.1-10.9. Diminished mean concentrations of serum nickel were found in patients with: (a) hepatic cirrhosis, mean = 1.6 ± 0.8, N = 18, P <0.005; and (b) chronic uremia, mean = 1.7 ± 0.7, N = 12, P = <0.005. Normal mean concentrations of serum nickel were found in patients with: (a) acute myocardial ischemia without infarction (13-36 h after onset), mean = 3.3 ± 1.6, N = 22; (b) acute trauma with fractured bones (13-36 h after injury), mean = 2.7 ± 0.9, N = 19; (c) acute delirium tremens (13-36 h after admission), mean = 2.3 ± 0.9, N = 25; and (d) muscular dystrophy, mean = 2.3 ± 1.4, N = 10. In sera collected from 12 mothers immediately after normal delivery, the mean concentration of nickel was 3.0 ± 1.2 µg/liter, the same values as for sera from the umbilical cords of their 12 full-term infants.

Submitted on July 19, 1971
Accepted on August 18, 1971