M. Metin Donma

Association of headaches and the metals.

Lack of specific markers constitutes a problem during diagnosis of headache syndromes. Recently, some metals have gained importance as biological parameters for the diagnosis and during treatment. Low-ionized Mg and high-ionized Ca/Mg in patients with daily migrainous headaches were noted. The blood Na level was shown to increase before and during headache. Headache is also a symptom of the common cold for which zinc may be an effective therapy. The existing relationship between genetic markers of the cluster headache and the efficacy of lithium salts therapy was noted.Headache was also found to be associated with toxic metals. When the health effects of mercury were investigated, the most frequently observed symptom was cephalalgia. Continuous exposure to lead was concomitant with the appearance of symptoms such as headache.In relation to some metabolic links, metals may be introduced as possible biological markers for the diagnosis and during the therapy of different headache syndromes in future clinical trials and laboratory measurements.

Zinc, copper, and magnesium concentrations in hair of children from Southeastern Turkey

Zinc, copper, and magnesium concentrations in hair were measured in groups of children varying in one condition—protein-energy malnutrition, ricketts, thalassemia, malignancy, cardiac failure, or after prolonged infection and in healthy controls. As compared with controls, copper and magnesium concentrations were low in all groups, whereas higher values were obtained for hair zinc. These results showed that a generalized copper and magnesium deficiency were observed in the southeastern part of Turkey. However, zinc deficiency couldn’t be detected as far as the hair zinc values were concerned, although all of the subjects fell within the 50 percentile limits for their age-appropriate weights and heights.

Hair zinc and copper concentrations and zinc : copper ratios in pediatric malignancies and healthy children from Southeastern Turkey

AbstractTwenty-eight healthy and forty-six children with malignancy admitted to the Pediatrics Oncology Clinic and Outpatient Clinic of Dicle University, Medical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics in 1989–1990 were included into this study. The children under investigation were divided into three groups. Group 1 consisted of 28 healthy children. Twenty-eight children with newly diagnosed malignant disease, before the start of treatment, formed Group 2. Group 3 consisted of eight of these 28 children together with 18 other children with malignancy in complete remission.1.Mean hair zinc and copper levels, and zinc/copper values for Group 2 were found to be 100.7±6.8 μg/g, 11.0±0.8 μg/g, and 10.0±0.8, respectively.2.The corresponding values for Group 3 were obtained as 143.5±6.3 μg/g, 7.6±0.4 μg/g, and 20.2±1.4.3.The values for Group 1 were 142.6±4.5 μg/g, 8.4±0.5 μg/g, and 19.0±1.4, respectively.4.The differences between control-active-phase and active-phase-remission groups were statistically significant (p<0.01), whereas almost the same values were obtained for the control and remission groups (p>0.05). These results were valid in cases where the comparisons of these three groups were performed also for the subgroups. It was shown that hair zinc and copper levels and zinc/copper values are useful parameters for the diagnosis and treatment of the children with malignancy because of the fact that hair reflects the integrated trace element concentrations of the body, not the present one.

Indices Used in Differentiation of Thalassemia Trait from Iron Deficiency Anemia in Pediatric Population: Are They Reliable?

Background: Iron deficiency (IDA) and beta thalassemia trait (TT) are the most common causes of hypochromia and microcytosis. Many indices have been defined to quickly discriminate these similar entities via parameters obtained from automated blood cell analyzers. However, studies in the pediatric age group are scarce and their results are controversial. Methods: We calculated eight discrimination indices [Mentzer Index (MI), England and Fraser Index (E&F), Srivastava Index (S), Green and King Index (G&K), Shine and Lal Index (S&L), red blood cell (RBC) count, RBC distribution width, and red blood cell distribution width Index (RDWI)] in 100 patients. We calculated sensitivity (SENS), specificity (SPEC), positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV), and Youdens Index (YI) of each discrimination index. Results: None of the discrimination indices showed a SENS and SPEC of 100%. The highest SENS was obtained with S&L (87.1%), while the highest SPEC was obtained with E&F formula (100%). The highest YI value was obtained with E&F formula (58.1%). Conclusion: In our study, none of the formulas appears reliable in discriminating between TT and IDA patients. The evaluation of iron status and measurement of hemoglobin A2 (HbA2) remain the most reliable investigations to differentiate between TT and IDA patients.

Copeptin as a Novel Biomarker in Nocturnal Enuresis

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relation between copeptin, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and nocturnal enuresis (NE). METHODS Forty-four patients with NE and 44 healthy children aged between 6 and 14 years were enrolled. Patients with nonmonosymptomatic and secondary NE were excluded from the study. A small questionnaire, filled by parents, collected information about sociodemographic characteristics. Blood was obtained for plasma AVP and copeptin concentrations. RESULTS Copeptin levels were significantly lower in patient group (3.74 ± 1.44 pg/mL) than the control group (16.57 ± 3.91 pg/mL), whereas AVP levels were not significantly different between groups. Copeptin levels were significantly lower in patients (3.17 ± 1.15 pg/mL) who had bed-wetting 2 or more nights a week, which is considered as severe bed-wetting, than the patients (4.95 ± 1.24 pg/mL) who had bed-wetting 1 night or less than 1 night a week. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the presence of decreased levels of copeptin in patients with NE compared with healthy patients. AVP levels were not different between groups. To our knowledge, this is the first report assessing the relationship between copeptin and NE.

Serum Fructosamine and Lipid Profile in Children with Malignant Diseases

Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) and fructosamine (FA) were determined in thirty–three children with malignant diseases and twenty healthy controls aged 1–14 years. Of them, FA was the parameter measured in children with malignancy for the first time. Mean serum TC, HDL‐C, LDL‐C and FA showed statistically significant decreases in malignancy compared to healthy children, whereas a statistically significant increase was observed for TG concentrations in serum. From these data, we conclude that significant relations between serum lipids and lipoproteins and the state of malignancy exist in the children studied, and it should be remembered that serum FA concentrations are affected by abnormal serum protein turnover when one deals with any type of neoplastic disease.

Serum copper and zinc values compared with serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, and transferrin saturation in sickle cell trait : A preliminary report.

Reliable data for the trace element values of the biological systems in some diseases are still very rare. Sickle cell trait is one of them.For this purpose, serum iron, zinc, and copper values, together with the total iron binding capacity and saturation percent, were determined in cases with sickle cell trait, eliminating all the sources contributing to deviations from the normal values by choosing a control group from the relatives of the cases.In this study, the values of two groups were compared on the basis of the difference in hemoglobin type, which was the only parameter affecting the trace element analysis.