Analytical methods have been developed for quantitation and characterization of metallic elements and their complex species present in biological samples of trace levels. Analysis of vanadium in samples from human subjects under study has been conducted. Results obtained have shown very low concentrations, in the range of nanograms-of-vanadium-per-gram of sample. The very small amounts of CSF samples available make reliable, reproducible results difficult to assure. Platinum complex behavior is under study for several different platinum-containing complex compounds used clinically. Chromatographic techniques are used to make separations of platinum complex species (bound and unbound to protein) in human plasma at clinically used concentration levels. Material balances suggest that all the platinum in the several fractions can be accounted for quantitatively. Analytical methods developed have been used to make kinetic studies of behavior of platinum species from cisplatin (including the parent complex, cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II (CDDP), and its transformation products) in plasma and to relate them to quantitation of protein in each fraction collected. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy with electrothermal atomization is used to quantitate total platinum or single isolated species.
