FULL BALANCES OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN TWO CASES OF OSTEOMALACIA

Metabolic studies were performed in a normal subject and in two cases of osteomalacia with respect to the balances of the following 21 trace elements: As, Au, Ba, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, La, Mo, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, W and Zn. Neutron activation analysis combined with a recently developed ion exchange technique was used. The results suggest that the metabolism of some of these elements is influenced not only by the metabolic disorder, but also by the substitution therapy used.