Examination of the Elemental Composition of Hair in Cholelithiasis, Kidney Stone, Hypertension and Diabetes by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectrometry SEM/EDS

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to find some connections between elemental composition of human hair and such illnesses as kidney stone, cholelithiasis, hypertension and diabetes to assess whether hair could be a reliable marker of the above mentioned health problems. The elements were identified by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectrometry SEM/EDS. Elemental profiles were determined in hair from 43 patients and 32 controls. The hair samples were at the anagen phase. Results indicated the content variation along the entire length of the hair in the bulb through the root to the hair follicle and the shaft. Measurements were made at these anatomical regions. Special attention was devoted to the bulb part for which characteristic EDS spectra were illustrated for the examined illnesses. Examination