Trace Element Balances in Two Cases of Pancreatic Insufficiency

Balance studies in two patients with pancreatic insufficiency have been performed with respect to the following trace elements: Ag, As, Au, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, La, Mo, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, W and Zn. The method consisted in neutron activation analysis combined with a recently developed ion exchange technique. The results suggest that the metabolism of trace elements with both known, suspected and unknown biological function is influenced by exocrine pancreatic enzymes.