Metals Red Blood Cell Test

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Metals Red Blood Cell Test

	General Description
	Brochure
	Analyte List
	Turn Around Time
	Specimen Requirements
	CPT Codes
	Kit Instructions
	Sample Report
	Order Test

General Description

Heavy metals toxicity caused by increasing levels of pollution and use of chemicals in industry is a growing threat to our health and development of our children. High levels of toxic metals deposited in body tissues and subsequently in the brain, may cause significant developmental and neurological damage.

A Metals Hair Test is ideal for checking current exposure to toxic metals. With respect to its contained elements, hair is essentially an excretory tissue rather than a functional tissue. Hair provides important information which can assist the practitioner with an early diagnosis of physiological disorders associated with aberrations in essential and toxic element metabolism.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated in a recent report that “...if hair samples are properly collected and cleaned, and analyzed by the best analytic methods, using standards and blanks as required, in a clean and reliable laboratory by experienced personnel, the data are reliable.” (U.S.E.P.A. 600/4-79-049)

The CDC acknowledges that hair mercury levels provide a valuable maternal and infant marker for exposure to neurotoxic methylmercury from fish.

Find out more about the sources of heavy metal toxicity here.

Why Choose Metals Red Blood Cell Test?

Analysis of red blood cells provides the best diagnostic tool for assessing the status of elements that have important functions inside cells or on blood cell membranes. Blood cell element levels are useful for assessing cardiac influences, anti-inflammatory processes, anemia, immunological function, glucose tolerance and other disorders that are associated specifically with zinc deficiency.

Red Blood Cell (RBC) Test is an invaluable diagnostic method for assessing insufficiency or excess of elements that have important functions within cells or on blood cell membranes. An important feature is that the cells are not washed, because this would result in partial loss of some important elements that bind to the plasma membrane, for example, calcium.

RBC element levels are very useful for assessing: cardiotonic influences (magnesium, potassium); anti-inflammatory processes (selenium, copper, zinc); anemia (copper, iron); immunological function (zinc, copper, magnesium), and glucose tolerance (chromium, manganese, and possibly vanadium). Disorders specifically associated with zinc deficiency also are addressed by this analysis. These disorders include loss of visual acuity, dysgeusia, dermatitis and poor wound healing, alopecia, amino acid malabsorption, sexual impotence, decreased production of testosterone, depressed immune function, and growth retardation.

Accurate assessment of essential element status is highly recommended for the determination of appropriate supplementation. The absorption, transport and metabolism of essential elements is highly integrated and regulated. Inappropriate supplementation or dietary imbalance of elements can have significant adverse health effects. For example, excess intake of zinc or molybdenum can result in copper deficiency and, although essential, excess retention of manganese can have serious neurotoxic effects. RBC element analysis is also useful for the assessment of ongoing or very recent exposure to specific toxic elements that accumulate preferentially in erythrocytes. These toxic elements include arsenic, cadmium, lead, methylmercury and thallium. It is important to keep in mind that elevated levels of the toxic elements in these cells reflect only recent or ongoing exposure and do not provide information about the net retention of the metals in the body.

RBC element analysis should be performed prior to and intermittently throughout the course of detoxification/chelation therapy. Monitoring essential element status is necessary to identify needs for and effectiveness of supplementation. Replacement and maintenance of adequate levels of essential nutrients can markedly reduce the apparent adverse “side effects” associated with the use of detoxification agents, per se, and the general effects of mobilization of toxic elements. It is important to note that some diseases are associated with abnormal levels of blood cell elements that could be misleading with respect to nutritional status. For example, blood cell copper can be temporarily elevated during inflammatory response while liver levels are not.

Benefits of the Metals Testing

	Determine if metal toxicity or mineral deficiency is contributing to your disorder.
	Monitor the effects of chelation (elimination of heavy metals from the body).
	Identify if supplementation of important minerals may bring about significant improvements
	Consultation about results is included with each test at The Great Plains Laboratory, Inc.

Brochure

Click here for printable brochure (PDF)

Analyte List

Essential: Boron, Chromium, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Vanadium, Zinc; Toxic: Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Thallium

Turn Around Time

The turn around time for this test is 2-3 weeks, unless unforeseen circumstances arise.

Specimen Requirements

2 mL of packed cells is the absolute minimum required in a royal blue-topped potassium EDTA tube is required. 4 mL of packed cells is preferred. The plasma must be removed and discarded from the specimen within 1 hour of collection.

CPT Codes

82175 82300 82310 82495 82525 83015 83018*4 83655 83735 83785 83825 84100 84132 84255 84630 No Medicare Coverage

Kit Instructions

For blood instructions please click here.