Mindray Semi-Auto Analyzer versus Atomic Absorption Spectrometer: A Comparative Study for Measuring Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc in Iraqi Women with Osteoporosis

Abstract

     Osteoporosis, a progressive skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone microarchitecture, increases the risk of fractures. Deficiencies in serum calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn) are key contributing factors. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of of the Mindray Semi-Auto and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) in determining serum concentrations of Ca, Mg, and Zn in Iraqi women with osteoporosis. A total of 120 serum samples were collected from Al-Wasiti Teaching Hospital and analysed at the College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad. Participants were divided into two groups: 80 patients with osteoporosis and 40 healthy controls, aged 48–56 years. Mindray Semi-Auto and AAS. The results for all osteoporosis patients (Ca=7.40±0.557 mg/dL, Mg= 1.82±0.153 mg/dL,  Zn=0.073±0.0215 mg/dL) were low compared to the healthy individuals (HI).  The same samples analyzed by AAS yielded slightly lower values in osteoporotic patients (Ca=4.54±1.049 mg/dL, Mg =1.04±0.211mg/dl, Zn=0.21±0.033 mg/dL. Analytical performance was assessed through relative standard deviation (RSD%) and recovery (Rec%) rates. The Mindray device showed an RSD of 2.68% and a recovery of 102.0%, while AAS showed superior precision (RSD: 0.99%) and recovery (99.2%). Both methods met acceptable recovery criteria (95–105%). In conclusion, the study confirmed that serum levels of calcium, magnesium, and zinc were significantly lower in osteoporotic women, highlighting the importance of early mineral assessment. Technically,, AAS demonstrated higher precision and reproducibility compared to the Mindray Semi-Auto analyser, indicating its superiority as a reference method.