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Title: In vivo evaluation of Fe in human skin employing X-Ray Fluorescence Methodology (XRF)

Journal Article · · AIP Conference Proceedings
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2710631· OSTI ID:21054869
;  [1]
  1. State University of Londrina, Department of Physics, Londrina, PR (Brazil)

Recent technological improvements allow the method of in vivo XRF to provide useful sensibility for diagnostics or monitoring in biomedical applications. In cases of hereditary sanguine disorders as the {beta}-thalassaemia or a genetic disorder like Haemochromatosis, there is a high concentration of elements as Fe, Zn and Cu in the skin and internal organs, due to the treatment of those abnormalities or due to the own dysfunction caused by the disease. The levels of Fe related to the patient bearers of the {beta}-thalassaemia are determined, at the moment, measuring a protein in the sanguine current, called ferritin. The monitoring of the protein is ineffective in several situations, such as when the patient suffers any disturbance of health. Nowadays, the main forms of measuring the levels of those metals through hepatic storage are the biopsy of the liver, that is invasive and potentially dangerous, presenting a rate of mortality of 0.1%, and by means of magnetic susceptibilities that employs a quantum superconductor, which is highly expensive and there are only three main world centers with this equipment This work investigates the use of a Si PIN-diode detector and a 238Pu source (13 and 17keV; 13%; 95.2mCi; 86y) for the measurement of Fe skin levels compatible with those associated to the disease {beta}-thalassaemia. XRF spectra were analyzed using a set of AXIL-WinQXAS programs elaborated and disseminated by the IAEA. The determination coefficient of the calibration model (sensitivity curve) was 0.97. Measurements on skin phantoms containing concentrations of Fe in the range from 10 to 150 parts per million (ppm), indicate that we are able to detect Fe at levels of the order of 15ppm, using monitoring periods of 50 seconds and skin entrance dose less than 10 mSv, The literature reports skin Fe levels from 15.0 to 60.0 ppm in normal persons and from 70 to 150 ppm in thalassaemics patients. So, the employed methodology allows the measurement of the skin Fe concentration.

OSTI ID:
21054869
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 884, Issue 1; Conference: 6. Latin American symposium on nuclear physics and applications, Iguazu (Argentina), 3-7 Oct 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2710631; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English