G. Gialanella

Zinc and copper status of allergic children.

ABSTRACT. Zinc and copper status was examined in 19 healthy and 43 atopic children (22 asthmatics and 21 eczematous) 2–14 years old. Dietary intakes for energy, protein, zinc and copper and some nutritional indices (height, weight, serum protein, albumin, ceruloplasmin) were similar in the allergic and in the control group. The proton‐induced X‐ray fluorescence technique was used to assess zinc and copper concentrations in serum and hair. No difference was detected in serum zinc concentration between allergic and healthy children. In contrast, mean hair zinc level was lower (p<0.05) in allergic than in healthy children (99±6 vs. 147±9 μg/g). Mean serum copper content was higher in asthmatic than in control children while mean hair copper was higher (p<0.05) in asthmatic and eczematous children than in the control group. These findings suggest a different zinc and copper nutritional status between allergic and healthy subjects. Allergic children, in particular, seem to be a risk of zinc deficiency.

Interaction of Trace Elements in a Longitudinal Study of Human Milk from Full-Term and Preterm Mothers

Concentrations of 8 trace elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Pb, Rb, and Sr) at different lactation time were measured by the PIXE multi-elemental technique. Time dependence and interelement correlations were studied. A total of 200 milk samples from 32 lactating mothers were supplied from 2 to 120 d after delivery of 26 full-term and 6 preterm infants. All elements showed a lognormal frequency-distribution. The Fe, Cu, Zn, and Se contents in preterm milk were found to be somewhat different with respect to full-term milk. Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Pb, and Rb concentrations declined with lactation time, both in pre- and full-term samples. Sr and Fe contents did not show any change with time. Detailed analysis of data by partial correlation and multiple regression methods was performed. No substantial differences between preterm and full-term samples were found in the results of partial correlation analysis. Cu and Zn were found to be correlated with lactation time, whereas the measured time dependence for the other elements has to be attributed to the effect of the existing interelement correlation. All the measured elements appeared to be correlated with at least one other element. In particular, Se was inversely correlated with Zn and directly with Cu. The zinc and copper contents in milk can therefore depend on the variation in the mother selenium intake.

Trace elements in hair of healthy children sampled by age and sex

Hair trace element (TE) (Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Br, Rb, Sr, Pb) levels from 336 healthy subjects were measured by the Proton-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) method. The subjects were divided in three groups: 157 full-term neonates (75 male and 82 female), 86 children (41 male and 45 female) ages 6 to 11 yr, and 93 adolescents (51 male and 42 female) 11 to 16 yr old. Cu, Zn, Cr, and Br show an increase from birth to 8 yr and then decrease. Fe, Mn, and Sr strongly decrease up to 8 yr and then remain almost stable. Sex differences are present in Fe, Zn, and Br of children and in Cu, Cr, and Br of adolescents.

Zinc, copper, and iron in obese children and adolescents

Abstract Zinc, copper and iron content in different cells and fluids of 143 obese children and adolescents were compared with the content in the same matrices of 164 healthy controls matched for age, sex, ethnic origin, nutritional habit and income level. The measures obtained were correlated with some anthropometric and biological parameters currently considered as cardiovascular risk factors. Serum zinc level was found to be lower in obese than in normal subjects and inversely correlated with skinfold thickness. The serum copper concentration was inversely related to the age, triglycerides serum level and directly with skinfold thickness. Serum triglyceride concentration was higher in obese than in age-matched controls and positively correlated to total cholesterol. There was also a direct correlation between serum zinc and copper concentration, between serum iron and triglycerides. BMI correlated directly with skinfold thickness. No significant correlation was obtained between trace elements content in the studied matrices and total cholesterol or its fractions.

Long-term Zinc and Iron Supplementation in Children of Short Stature: Effect of Growth and on Trace Element Content in Tissues

We evaluated the effect of one year of supplementation with iron plus zinc (12 mg/day of Fe+++ and 12.5 mg/day of Zn++), zinc alone (12.5 mg/day of Zn++) and placebo on growth and on the iron, zinc, copper and selenium tissue contents in 30 well-selected children of short stature (16 M and 14 F; 4-11 years old). Before and after supplementation, we measured the concentrations of iron, transferrin, ferritin, zinc and copper in serum, of zinc in erythrocytes and leukocytes, and of zinc, copper and selenium in hair, as well as glutathione peroxidase activity in erythrocytes. Before supplementation, ferritin and serum, erythrocyte and hair zinc contents were significantly lower than in age-matched controls, while the other measured indices were in the normal range. Iron plus zinc supplementation caused an improvement in growth rate in all subjects, i.e., the median Z-score increased from -2.22 +/- 0.45 to -0.64 +/- 0.55; (p < 0.01). In the zinc-supplemented group, only the subjects whose ferritin levels were higher than 20 ng/L before supplementation showed a similar improvement of growth rate. Iron plus zinc supplementation could be a reasonable treatment in short, prepubertal children affected by marginal zinc and iron deficiency.

Impaired zine metabolic status in children affected by idiopathic nephrotic syndrome

Zinc content of serum, hair and erythrocytes, urinary zinc excretion, zinc clearance (CZn) and the ratio of CZn to creatinine clearance (CCr) (CZn/CCr) were measured in 32 children aged between 2.1 and 14.4 years suffering from idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) without renal failure (CCr>70 ml/min 1.73 m2 body surface area). Nineteen subjects had proteinuria and the remaining 13 were in remission. All children received calcium and vitamin D supplementation while on steroid therapy. There was high dietary zinc and protein intake. The results were compared with those obtained from 19 healthy subjects (aged 2–14 years). Zinc concentration in serum, erythrocytes and urine were measured by a colourimetric method. Proton induced X-ray emission was used to determine zinc content in hair. In patients both with and without proteinuria, the mean contents of serum, hair and erythrocytes were significantly lower than in the control group. The urinary zinc excretion, CZn and CZn/CCr in INS children were significantly higher than in the control group. A positive correlation was found between urinary zinc and protein excretion. In spite of high dietary zinc intake and normal intestinal absorption, children with INS had a zinc deficiency. This was probably caused by an increased urinary zinc loss.

Naturally occurring levels of elements in fishes as determined by PIXE and XRF methods

Abstract Naturally occurring levels of S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Sb, Sr and Pb were measured in the gills, liver and muscles of fishes (Zosterisessor ophiocephalus Pall) in the northwestern region of the Adriatic Sea. The overall performance of PIXE and XRF methods was tested by the analysis of standard reference materials. The mean concentration values for elements were calculated from the distribution of experimentally determined concentration values. The obtained data are discussed in the framework of metal metabolism and toxicology.

Postnatal dependence of plasma copper and zinc levels on gestational age and maturity observed in infants fed a high zinc content formula.

Summary: We studied the effect of gestational age and maturity on plasma zinc and copper levels at 10 and 120 days of age. The association of plasma zinc changes and body growth was also investigated. Infants were receiving a controlled intake of zinc and copper solely through a zinc-supplemented formula (4.7 mg/L of zinc and 0.16 mg/L of copper). Twenty-eight low-birthweight infants (<2,500 g) having gestational ages ranging from 33 to 40 weeks [17 with an appropriate birthweight for gestational age (AGA) and 11 small for gestational age (SGA)] were enrolled in the present study. Measurements of plasma zinc and copper concentration, weight, length, head circumference, and tricipital and subscapular skinfolds were carried out at 10 and 120 days of age. Proton-induced x-ray fluorescence technique (PIXE) was used to assess copper and zinc concentrations. At 10 days of age a significant correlation between copper concentration and gestational age was found. At 120 days of age the copper concentration was higher than at 10 days and independent of gestational age and maturity (mean ± SEM = 116 ± 5 μg/dl). At 10 days of age no significant correlation between zinc content and gestational age was found (86 ± 4 μg/dl). The plasma zinc percent change over the period from 10 to 120 days of age was positively correlated with gestational age in the whole sample as well as in AGA and SGA infants separately. The value of gestational age at which the zinc percent change turns from negative to positive was 35.6 ± 0.7 weeks for AGA, 37.4 ± 0.5 weeks for SGA, and 36.2 ± 0.5 weeks for the whole sample. No significant correlation between the increments of the measured body features and the plasma zinc change was found. Length and weight velocities were similar in AGA and SGA infants. These observations indicate that the possibility of increasing plasma zinc level by zinc supplementation depends on gestational age and maturity.

Toxic levels of selenium in enzymes and selenium uptake in tissues of a marine fish

Acute toxicity of selenium as selenite inZosterisessor ophiocephalus by ip injection was studied. The 50% lethal dose and 50% lethal time were measured to be 0.29 ppm and 96 h, respectively. Se concentrations in liver, gill, skin and muscle, and Cyt. P450 level, Se-GPx, and Total GPx enzyme activities in liver were also assessed at different doses and times after injection. Starting at 0.3 ppm injected dose, enzyme activities and Se concentration in tissues but not in muscle, showed significant differences from the control group. A threshold behavior was inferred. Normal conditions of enzyme activities and Se concentration in tissues were restored about 1 wk after injection. Biological elimination half-lives were about 2 d for liver and gill, and 5 d for skin.