Version 2.77

Description

Aluminium (Al) is a metal which is distributed throughout our environment. It has been used since approximately 1887. Al is widely used in multiple industries and consumer products. It has no known function in biology. Al usually enters the human body via cooking utensils or pharmicological agents such as antacids (Al (OH)3 )and antiperspirants. Aluminum salts are remarkably nontoxic, aluminum sulfate having an LD50 of 6207 mg/kg (oral, mouse), which corresponds to 500 grams for an 80 kg (180 lb) person. Aluminum is excreted by filtration by the glomeruli of the kidney. Patients in renal failure lose the ability to clear aluminum, and aluminum toxicity may be a concern. Aluminum accumulates in the blood and binds to proteins such as albumin, and then distributed throughout the body.Because aluminum competes with calcium for absorption, increased amounts of dietary aluminum may contribute to the reduced skeletal mineralization (osteopenia) observed in preterm infants and infants with growth retardation. In very high doses, aluminum is associated with altered function of the blood-brain barrier. A small percentage of people are allergic to aluminum and experience contact dermatitis, digestive disorders, vomiting or other symptoms upon contact or ingestion of products containing aluminum. In those without allergies, aluminum is not as toxic as heavy metals, but there is evidence of some toxicity if consumed in amounts greater than 40 mg/day per kg of body mass. Aluminum is classified as a non-carcinogen by the US Department of Health and Human Services. In case of suspected sudden intake of a large amount of aluminum, deferoxamine mesylate may be given to help eliminate it from the body by chelation. (Tietz: Clinical Guide to Laboratory Tests, Fourth Edition)
The mechanism of how the neurotoxicity of AI occurs is still unclear. Evidence suggests that oxidative stress and inflammatory processes lead to cell death. As a neurotoxin, Al is considered has been linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Parkinsonism and even Gulf war syndrome. PMID: 27479193 (for human medicine)

Veterinary Medicine:
In veterinary medicine, the impact of aluminum toxicity is similar. An animal proven to have aluminum toxicity from an ingested foreign body had symptoms of muscle twitching and convulsions during exercise, which worsened to weakened limbs and coma until the source of the toxicity was removed. PMID: 23609067 Source: Regenstrief LOINC

Basic Part Properties

Part Display Name
Aluminum
Part Type
Component (Describes the core component or analyte measured)
Created On
2000-05-04
Construct for LOINC Short Name
Aluminum

LOINC Terminology Service (API) using HL7® FHIR® Get Info

CodeSystem lookup
https://fhir.loinc.org/CodeSystem/$lookup?system=http://loinc.org&code=LP16800-2
ConceptMap translate
https://fhir.loinc.org/ConceptMap/$translate?system=http://loinc.org&code=LP16800-2

Language Variants Get Info

Tag Language Translation
zh-CN Chinese (China)
Synonyms: AL
fr-CA French (Canada) Aluminium
et-EE Estonian (Estonia) Alumiinium
es-ES Spanish (Spain) Aluminio
it-IT Italian (Italy) Alluminio
tr-TR Turkish (Turkey) Aluminyum
ru-RU Russian (Russian Federation) Алюминий
nl-NL Dutch (Netherlands) aluminium
fr-BE French (Belgium) Aluminium
Synonyms: Al