Concentrations of chromium, cesium, and tin in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with brain neoplasms, leukemia or other noncerebral malignancies, and neurological diseases.

We measured the concentrations of chromium, cesium, and tin in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 29 patients with brain tumors [21 benign (BBT) and eight malignant (MBT)], 28 leukemic patients, 14 patients with lymphoma or noncerebral solid tumors (NLCT), and 32 control patients (15 with neurological disorders and 17 with noneurological conditions) by use of flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. We detected chromium in 94% of the patients, tin in 79%, and cesium in 50%. The mean (and SEM) concentrations (micrograms/L) of these metals in the control group were 4.7 (1.1) for chromium, 3.8 (1.6) for cesium, and 6.4 (1) for tin. We observed significant differences (P less than 0.05) in the concentration of chromium in CSF between the MBT group and all other tumor groups; the ratios for the mean CSF concentration of chromium in patients with BBT, leukemia, or NLCT to that in patients with MBT were 2.6, 2.1, or 4.4, respectively. We saw no significant differences in the concentrations of cesium or tin among the various groups investigated.