Metals contamination in soils and vegetables in metal smelter contaminated sites in Huangshi, China.

This study investigated the source and magnitude of metal contamination in soils and vegetables collected in the vicinity of the Daye smelter, China. Results showed that soils and vegetables were heavily contaminated by cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The average levels of Cd and Pb in vegetables were 0.21 and 3.28 mg/kg fresh weight, respectively. Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) operational speciation analysis indicated that the source of metals in soils probably resulted from sewage irrigation and contaminated sediment. Transfer and correlation coefficients were also calculated to evaluate the bioavailability of metals to vegetables. This investigation highlights the potential risk to local residents via consumption of vegetables.

[Usefulness of measurement of blood flow by RI plethysmography].

We have developed the RI plethysmography, and have applied it to ordinary clinic diagnosis and the evaluation of treatment. The subjects were 58 cases (39 cases of the obstruction of the peripheral blood circulation: ASO 24 cases, TAO 4 cases and arterial sclerotic change 11 cases; the non-abnormal control was 19 cases). The clinical benefit of this method was evaluated. In the cases with 1 and 2 degrees of Fontaine's classification and ASO and TAO, the blood flow of legs measured by our method significantly decreased in association with symptoms and angiographic findings. This method is suitable to the determination of angiography and evaluation of the effect of treatment.

[Post-therapeutic changes in body composition of patients with Graves' disease].

Changes in patients' body composition following therapy for Graves' disease were assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The subjects were 21 patients (6 males, 15 females) who were treated with 131I. Their ages ranged from 24 to 75 years (median 51.2 years). Changes in body composition were analyzed by evaluating the fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM). Both FM and LM were significantly increased after therapy. The increase in LM was greater in the males, whereas in females, no significant difference was noted between the changes in FM and LM. The distributions of FM and LM were examined in the arms, legs and trunk after therapy, and FM was significantly increased in the trunk, while LM was increased in the legs. DXA is useful for the assessment of body composition as well as bone mineral content in follow-up study of Graves' disease.

[A comparative study of a bioelectrical impedance method and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry for body composition analysis].

The accuracy of a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was examined by comparison with a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure the body composition. The subjects consisted of 52 patients (21-78y.) with chronic renal failure (32 cases), osteoporosis (6 cases) and diabetes mellitus with obesity (14 cases). Bioelectrical impedance between hand and leg was measured by a body composition analyzer (Model BIA-BC-3, RJL) with a four-electrode system. One pair of current supply and detector electrode was attached to the right hand and another pair was to the leg. The total fat mass measured by BIA was well correlated with the value by DXA (r = 0.959, p < 0.01). The total fat mass by BIA was also correlated with the fat mass in the arms (r = 0.863), fat mass in the legs (r = 0.911), and fat mass in the trunk (r = 0.920) by DXA. The correlation rates were p < 0.01. These correlation coefficients were lower than the correlation rate of the total fat mass measured by DXA. The total lean mass measured by BIA was well correlated with the value by DXA (r = 0.963, p < 0.01). It was correlated with the lean mass in the arms (r = 0.899), lean mass in the legs (r = 0.929), and lean mass in the trunk (r = 0.906) by DXA, but these values were lower than the correlation rate of the total lean mass obtained by DXA. These findings suggest that BIA is a safe and simple method for analyzing the body composition of the total fat mass and the total lean mass, and total body composition is reflected more clearly than regional body composition.