01459nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260000900042653001000051653001100061653001100072653001100083653000900094653001200103653000900115653001600124653000900140653003300149653001600182653000900198100001400207700001700221700001400238700001600252245010500268300001100373490000800384520073900392022001401131       1981                            d  c198110aAdult10aCopper10aFemale10aHumans10aIron10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aSkin10aSpectrometry, X-Ray Emission10aThalidomide10aZinc1 aSheskin J1 aGorodetsky R1 aWeinreb A1 aLoewinger E00aIron content of skin before and after thalidomide treatment of lepra reaction. A preliminary report.  a145-500 v1633 a<p>THe concentration of copper, zinc and iron in the skin of patients suffering from lepra reaction was measured by diagnostic X-ray spectrometry (DXS) at the sites of the lesions before and after treatment with thalidomide. The results were compared with the levels of these elements in the skin of healthy individuals. No significant changes in the copper level of leprous skin were found. The zinc levels showed significant elevations in some lesions with no apparent trend. The iron level in the affected areas had highly elevated values in all cases of lepra reaction. However, in contrast to the fast clinical improvement which followed the treatment with thalidomide, the iron levels did not decrease for prolonged periods.</p>  a0011-9075