Urinary thiosulphate as an indicator of exposure to hydrogen sulphide vapour

Urinary Sulfur Metabolites Associate with a Favorable Cardiovascular Risk Profile and Survival Benefit in Renal Transplant Recipients

“…However, it has repeatedly been shown that urinary thiosulfate excretion increases during H 2 S inhalation. 16,35 Because little is known regarding the role of sulfur in cardiovascular health in RTRs and the sulfur handling in the kidney, a third factor might underlie the observed associations. For example, it can be hypothesized that higher urinary excretion of sulfur compounds is caused by decreased tubular reabsorption due to renal damage, which itself is well known to be associated with cardiovascular risk.…”

“…Indeed, urinary thiosulfate has been reported to be linearly associated with inhaled or intravenously administered H 2 S, and might therefore, at least in part, reflect systemic H 2 S levels. 16 Because of the protective effects of H 2 S, it can be hypothesized that increasing intake of sulfur-containing amino acids (SAAs) contributes to the synthesis of H 2 S and beneficially influences the cardiovascular profile and, consequently, patient survival. On the other hand, the major end product of SAAs is sulfate (SO 4 22 ), 17,18 which is allegedly adverse for its contribution to metabolic acid load and systemic acidosis, particularly in patients with impaired renal function.…”

Hydrogen sulfide poisoning: Clarification of some controversial issues

“…In one study, 29 unexposed healthy men had urinary thiosulfate values of 0.4-5.4 umol/mmol creatinine, whereas a volunteer exposed to 18 ppm hydrogen sulfide for 30 minutes exhibited urinary thiosulfate concentrations that increased linearly postexposure to a peak of 30 umol/mmol creatinine at 15 hours, before declining to a normal value by 17 hours [Kangas and Savolainen, 1987]. Ingestion of food or water high in sulfur content can dramatically increase urinary thiosulfate concentration, confounding interpretation of excretion data for biological monitoring purposes [Kangas and Savolainen, 1987;Voroteliak et al, 1993;Ellenhorn, 1997].…”

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide overproduction in Down syndrome

“…The CBS overexpression could induce an overproduction of hydrogen sulfide in Down syndrome patients, and this overproduction is potentially able to induce some of the clinical signs of Down syndrome such as hypotonia and mental retardation. As thiosulfate is the main catabolite of hydrogen sulfide [Kangas and Savolainen, 1987], we compared the levels of this molecule in the urine of Down syndrome patients and control subjects. Human erythrocytes contain various forms of hemoglobin.…”