Reference values for plasma and urine trace elements in a Swiss population-based cohort

Maïwenn Perrais; Bastien Trächsel; Sébastien Lenglet; Menno Pruijm; Belen Ponte; Bruno Vogt; Marc Augsburger; Valentin Rousson; Murielle Bochud; Aurélien Thomas

doi:10.1515/cclm-2023-1433

Reference values for plasma and urine trace elements in a Swiss population-based cohort

Clin Chem Lab Med. 2024 Apr 22. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2023-1433. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Unit of Forensic Chemistry and Toxicology, 658784 University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva , Geneva University Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
² Faculty Unit of Toxicology, 658784 University Centre of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva , Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ 569258 Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁴ Service of Nephrology, Lausanne University Hospitals and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁶ 27252 University Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern , Bern, Switzerland.

PMID: 38641868
DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-1433

Abstract

Objectives: Trace elements (TEs) are ubiquitous. TE concentrations vary among individuals and countries, depending on factors such as living area, workplaces and diet. Deficit or excessive TEs concentrations have consequences on the proper functioning of human organism so their biomonitoring is important. The aim of this project was to provide reference values for TEs concentrations in the Swiss population.

Methods: The 1,078 participants to the SKiPOGH cohort included in this study were aged 18-90 years. Their 24-h urine and/or plasma samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine 24 TEs concentrations: Ag, Al, As, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, I, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, V and Zn. Statistical tests were performed to evaluate the influence of covariates (sex, age, BMI, smoking) on these results. Reference intervals for the Swiss adult population were also defined.

Results: TEs concentrations were obtained for respectively 994 and 903 persons in plasma and urine matrices. It was possible to define percentiles of interest (P50 and P95) for almost all the TEs. Differences in TEs distribution between men and women were noticed in both matrices; age was also a cofactor.

Conclusions: This first Swiss biomonitoring of a large TEs-panel offers reference values in plasma and in urine for the Swiss population. The results obtained in this study were generally in line with clinical recommendations and comparable to levels reported in other population-based surveys.

Keywords: human biomonitoring; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); plasma; reference values; trace elements; urine.