Jackson M J
Department of Medicine, University of Liverpool, UK.
Br Med Bull. 1999;55(3):634-42. doi: 10.1258/0007142991902510.
Determination of the presence or absence of a deficiency of one or more of the micronutrient minerals (usually described as trace elements) can be a complex problem, frequently requiring the integration of clinical, nutritional and biochemical data. Almost invariably, laboratory investigations are required and this short review describes the more common techniques applied for the various essential trace elements. Using a combination of techniques it is usually possible to determine, with confidence, whether an individual subject or small groups of subjects have a deficiency of a specific trace elements, but simple reliable tests which can be used in population studies are still lacking for several key elements. This problem appears most acute for studies of chromium, copper and zinc, deficiencies of which may have important roles in the pathogenesis of a variety of human disorders.
确定一种或多种微量营养素矿物质（通常称为微量元素）是否缺乏可能是一个复杂的问题，常常需要整合临床、营养和生化数据。几乎无一例外，都需要进行实验室检查，本简短综述描述了针对各种必需微量元素所应用的更常见技术。通过结合多种技术，通常能够自信地确定个体受试者或小群体受试者是否缺乏特定的微量元素，但对于几种关键元素，仍缺乏可用于人群研究的简单可靠测试。对于铬、铜和锌的研究，这个问题似乎最为突出，这些元素的缺乏可能在多种人类疾病的发病机制中起重要作用。
