The 11th edition of Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine welcomes Anthony Fauci to its editorial staff, in addition to more than 85 new contributors. While the organization of the book is similar to previous editions, major emphasis has been placed on disorders that affect multiple organ systems. Important advances in genetics, immunology, and oncology are emphasized. Many chapters of the book have been rewritten and describe major advances in internal medicine. Subjects that received only a paragraph or two of attention in previous editions are now covered in entire chapters. Among the chapters that have been extensively revised are the chapters on infections in the compromised host, on skin rashes in infections, on many of the viral infections, including cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus, on sexually transmitted diseases, on diabetes mellitus, on disorders of bone and mineral metabolism, and on lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. The major revisions in these chapters and many

Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine

9.2. Protein-Based Hg(II) Detectors 3467 9.3. Oligonucleotide-Based Hg(II) Detector 3467 9.4. DNAzyme-Based Hg(II) Detectors 3469 9.5. Antibody-Based Hg(II) Detector 3469 10. Mercury Detectors Based on Materials 3469 10.1. Soluble and Fluorescent Polymers 3469 10.2. Membranes, Films, and Fibers 3471 10.3. Micelles 3473 10.4. Nanoparticles 3473 11. Perspectives 3474 12. Addendum 3475 12.1. Small Molecules 3475 12.2. Biomolecules 3477 12.3. Materials 3477 13. List of Abbreviations 3477 14. Acknowledgments 3478 15. References 3478

Tools and tactics for the optical detection of mercuric ion.

Yuming Yang,†,§ Qiang Zhao,‡,§ Wei Feng,† and Fuyou Li*,† †Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China ‡Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID) and Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China.

Luminescent chemodosimeters for bioimaging.

The paper builds on existing literature, highlighting current understanding and identifying unresolved issues about MeHg exposure, health effects, and risk assessment, and concludes with a consensus statement. Methylmercury is a potent toxin, bioaccumulated and concentrated through the aquatic food chain, placing at risk people, throughout the globe and across the socioeconomic spectrum, who consume predatory fish or for whom fish is a dietary mainstay. Methylmercury developmental neurotoxicity has constituted the basis for risk assessments and public health policies. Despite gaps in our knowledge on new bioindicators of exposure, factors that influence MeHg uptake and toxicity, toxicokinetics, neurologic and cardiovascular effects in adult populations, and the nutritional benefits and risks from the large number of marine and freshwater fish and fish-eating species, the panel concluded that to preserve human health, all efforts need to be made to reduce and eliminate sources of exposure.

Methylmercury exposure and health effects in humans: a worldwide concern.

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/37676/cdc_37676_DS1.pdf

Toxicological Profile for Lead

http://kodaimercury.org/backdoor/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/mercury_article-4.pdf

Mercury exposure in children: a review.

The prevalence of mercury (Hg) intoxication was investigated in 114 Andean Saraguro and non-Saraguro (Mestizo) children living in remote gold-mining settlements in Nambija and Portovelo, Ecuador. Venous blood samples showed a mean total blood mercury (BHg) level of 18.2 µg/L (SD 15.5; range 2-89.) for 77 Saraguro and non-Saraguro children in the Nambija settlement, which was significantly higher than that of children in the Portovelo and reference groups. Comparison of groups showed mean B-Hg levels of 26.4 µg/L (range 4-89 µg/L) for 32 indigenous/Saraguro children; 12.3 µg/L (range 2-33 µg/L) for 45 non-Saraguro children; 4.9 µg/L (range 1-10 µg/L) for 37 children in Portovelo; and 2.4 µg/L (range 1-6 µg/L) for a reference group of 15 children. Fisher's post hoc analysis revealed significant differences among groups, except between the Portovelo and the reference groups. Neuro-otological symptoms and abnormalities were observed in Saraguro, non-Saraguro, and Portovelo children. Samples of soil collected ...

Elevated blood mercury and neuro-otological observations in children of the Ecuadorian gold mines.

Lead in Plasma and Whole Blood from Lead-Exposed Children

This study investigated blood mercury (B-Hg) levels and the auditory neuro-sensory status of children and adults in the remote Andean settlement of Nambija, Ecuador where Hg is used in the extensive gold mining operations. The mean B-Hg level in 75 Nambija (Study Area) inhabitants (36 children and 39 adults) was 17.5 micrograms/L (SD = 11.0) vs 3.0 micrograms/L (SD = 1.6) in a second group of 34 subjects (15 children and 19 adults) in a non-gold mining area (Reference Area), the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Neuro-otological examinations revealed 34 subjects (45%) with complaints of headaches and/or memory loss, 3 cases of severe neurological impairment and 4 cases of middle ear pathology. Audiological tests on 40 persons in the Study Area (21 children and 19 adults) showed hearing thresholds ranging from normal to mildly abnormal at 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 kHz for children, and normal to severely abnormal for adults. Correlation coefficients showed a significant relationship between B-Hg level and hearing level in children at 3 kHz in the right ear, and at no frequency for adults. Auditory brainstem evoked responses (ABR) on subjects in the Study Area showed a significant correlation between B-Hg and the I-III interpeak latency on the right side. The results indicated that the study population of the Nambija gold mining area had abnormally elevated B-Hg levels, and may be at neurological risk from exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) from the consumption of contaminated food and possibly from elemental Hg vapors inhaled during amalgam burning in the gold extraction process.

Blood mercury and auditory neuro-sensory responses in children and adults in the Nambija gold mining area of Ecuador.

We investigated blood lead (B-Pb) and mercury (B-Hg) levels and auditory sensory-neural function in 62 Andean school children living in a Pb-contaminated area of Ecuador and 14 children in a neighboring gold mining area with no known Pb exposure. The median B-Pb level for 62 children in the Pb-exposed group was 52.6 micrograms/dl (range 9.9-110.0 micrograms/dl) compared with 6.4 micrograms/dl (range 3.9-12.0 micrograms/dl) for the children in the non-Pb exposed group; the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Auditory thresholds for the Pb-exposed group were normal at the pure tone frequencies of 0.25-8 kHz over the entire range of B-Pb levels, Auditory brain stem response tests in seven children with high B-Pb levels showed normal absolute peak and interpeak latencies. The median B-Hg levels were 0.16 micrograms/dl (range 0.04-0.58 micrograms/dl) for children in the Pb-exposed group and 0.22 micrograms/dl (range 0.1-0.44 micrograms/dl) for children in the non-Pb exposed gold mining area, and showed no significant relationship to auditory function.

Leo H. Buchanan

Papers

Mercury exposure in children: a review.

Elevated blood mercury and neuro-otological observations in children of the Ecuadorian gold mines.

Lead in Plasma and Whole Blood from Lead-Exposed Children

Blood mercury and auditory neuro-sensory responses in children and adults in the Nambija gold mining area of Ecuador.

High lead exposure and auditory sensory-neural function in Andean children.