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Overcoming matrix determination constraints in X-ray Fluorescence: recent improvements in biomarker determination capabilities
Sofia Pessanha
REAL-NOVA University, Portugal
Trace elements play an important role in biological processes and an association between the levels of trace elements and the presence of diseases has already been established. Thus, the understanding of the mechanisms of assimilation of trace elements may be indicative of the genesis or progression of the disease. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence technique (EDXRF) might be the innovative technique for screening analysis as it constitutes the ideal compromise for a non-destructive, of simple instrumentation and good sensitivity technique for the elements of interest. For these reasons, this technique has already been tested in research regarding to the characterization of tumour tissues. However, there is always a great impairment to statistically significant conclusions: the extremely reduced number of samples. The research here presented intends to overcome this obstacle by taking advantage of the vast repository of human tissue samples, fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin, that is stored in Portuguese hospitals. However, there is a major disadvantage when using these samples, namely the type of substrate (formalin and/or paraffin), that increases the factor of greatest uncertainty in the quantification by EDXRF: the characterization of the dark matrix of the sample.
This presentation will demonstrate the methodologies implemented to overcome the constraints imposed by formalin and paraffin by revealing the results of several case studies
