Trace elements in the hair of healthy and malnourished children

Higher Ca and Na content in the hair of obese people in Poland

The authors of this paper decided to check whether the content of selected minerals in human hair is projected into the nutritional status of the body expressed as the BMI. The study focused on evaluating the content of calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium in the hair of 7845 individuals in relation to their BMI. 5126 women and 2719 men aged from 18 to 92, domiciled throughout Poland, were involved in the study. Hair samples were taken from several points of the occipital scalp. Ca, Na, K and Mg in the hair were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The content of Ca and Na in the hair of obese people (>30.0 kg·m²) was higher (323 mg·kg^-1 and 180 mg·kg^-1) in comparison with the groups of people with normal body weight and those grade 2 underweight (<16.9 kg·m²): 191 mg·kg^-1 and 103 mg·kg^-1 respectively. The highest level of K (317 mg·kg^-1) was found in the hair of people classed as grade 2 underweight. The body mass index caused no differentiation in the content of Mg in hair. Positive correlations were found between Ca-Na, Ca-Mg and Na-Mg and between the BMI of the subjects and the content of Ca in hair (R = 0.163; p < 0.01) and between the BMI and the content of Na (R = 0.191; p < 0.01). On the other hand, a negative relation between K and the BMI was correlated only to an infinitesimal degree (R = -0.030, p < 0.01). The results point to a relationship between the body mass index and the content of Ca, Na and K in the hair of adults.

Serum and Hair Mineral Levels in Children with Failure to Thrive According to the Type of Feeding Difficulties

This study evaluated serum and hair mineral and trace element levels as well as levels of other nutritional factors affecting growth and appetite in young children with non-organic failure to thrive (NOFTT) based on the presence or types of feeding difficulty (FD). Between August 2012 and July 2015, 136 children less than 6 years of age with NOFTT were included. FD was diagnosed based on Wolfson criteria and divided into subtypes according to Chatoor's classification. Clinical data were reviewed, and serum and hair mineral levels were measured. Of all assessed serum and hair minerals, only hair sulfur contents differed significantly between subjects with and without infantile anorexia (39,392 ± 2211 vs. 40,332 ± 2551 μg/g, P = 0.034). There were no differences in serum and hair mineral levels between children with and without sensory food aversion. Hair copper contents were significantly lower in children with FD of reciprocity (12.3 ± 6.0 vs. 22.4 ± 25.1 μg/g, P = 0.049). While hair zinc contents were also lower, the difference was not statistically significant (49.2 ± 26.8 vs. 70.6 ± 41.0 μg/g, P = 0.055). Only hair manganese contents were significantly lower in children with posttraumatic FD (0.12 ± 0.04 vs. 0.26 ± 0.73 μg/g, P = 0.037). In conclusion, there were no differences in most serum and hair mineral levels in children with NOFTT, except for relatively lower hair levels of sulfur, copper and possibly zinc, and manganese in infantile anorexia, reciprocity, and posttraumatic types of FD, respectively.

[Trace elements in serum of malnourished and well-nourished children living in Lubumbashi and Kawama]

Introduction

La place des éléments traces métalliques essentiels en nutrition humaine ne peut plus être ignorée. Les déficits d'apports, les carences secondaires souvent sous – estimées, et les carences iatrogènes font le lit de pathologies telles que les infections et autres. D'où leurs dosages ont une importance particulière pour en évaluer la gravité et faciliter une prise en charge précoce ou améliorer le régime alimentaire. Cette étude a eu pour objectif de déterminer le profil sanguin en éléments traces (cuivre, sélénium, zinc, fer, chrome, cobalt, etc) chez les enfants malnutris et biens nourris dans un milieu minier à Lubumbashi.

Méthodes

Trois cents onze cas ont été colligés, 182 malnutris et 129 biens nourris, dans une étude descriptive transversale, effectuée de juillet 2013 à décembre 2014. Pour lequel un échantillonnage exhaustif a été réalisé. Le dosage des métaux dans le sérum s'est fait à l’ ICP-OES (spectrométrie de masse à plasma gon induit) au laboratoire de l'Office Congolais de Contrôle de Lubumbashi.

Résultats

Les oligoéléments essentiels (cuivre, zinc, sélénium et fer) se retrouvent à des concentrations très basses chez les enfants malnutris comme chez les biens nourris. L'arsenic, le cadmium, le magnésium et le manganèse se présentent à des concentrations normales par rapport aux valeurs de références chez les enfants biens nourris. L'antimoine, le chrome, le plomb et le cobalt se retrouvent élevés chez les malnutris et biens nourris. Le nickel est normal chez les malnutris et les biens nourris. Le magnésium, manganèse se sont présentés à des taux très bas chez les enfants malnutris.

Conclusion

Les enfants malnutris et biens nourris présentent une malnutrition aux oligo-éléments essentiels associés aux éléments traces métalliques. Ce qui permet de supposer qu'une carence en micronutriments essentiel favorise l'absorption des métaux lourds.

Lead, cadmium and zinc in hair samples: relationship with dietary habits and urban environment

This study was performed in order to analyze the relationships between hair zinc, lead, and cadmium with the kind of diet consumed (by recall of the diet consumed the previous 14 days), living area (urban or rural), tobacco smoking, and body mass index (BMI) among 419 individuals of the Canary Archipelago. Median values and interquartile range were 43 μg/g (18.50-132.50) for zinc, 4.09 μg/g (2.19-8.38) for lead, and 0.128 μg/g (0.05-0.30) for cadmium. We observed that hair zinc was markedly elevated among those consuming fish more frequently and, to a lesser amount, among those who consumed meat frequently, among those living in urban areas, and among those with BMI over 25 kg/m(2), keeping a significant relationship with BMI. Hair lead was also higher among fish consumers, showed a trend to higher values among inhabitants of urban areas, and was lower among obese individuals. Hair cadmium was higher among those who consumed less vegetables and fruits. By multivariate analysis, introducing the variables meat, fish, and vegetable consumption, urban/rural; sex; age; and BMI values, we observed that fish consumption (beta = 0.15) was the only variable independently associated to higher zinc levels; fish consumption (beta = 0.15) and meat consumption (beta = 0.17) were related to high cadmium levels, whereas meat consumption was significantly associated to higher hair lead levels (beta = 0.15). Therefore, we conclude that hair zinc, cadmium, and lead seem to depend more heavily on dietary habits than on tobacco consumption or living in rural or urban areas.

Mineral concentrations in hair of Belgian elementary school girls: reference values and relationship with food consumption frequencies

Although evidence suggests that hair elements may reflect dietary habits and/or mineral intake, this topic remains controversial. This study therefore presents age-specific reference values for hair concentrations of Ca, Cu, Fe, Na, Mg, P and Zn using the LMS method of Cole, and investigates the relationship between dietary habits (i.e. food consumption frequencies) and hair mineral concentrations in 218 Belgian elementary school girls by reduced rank regression (RRR). Hair minerals were quantitatively determined via inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after microwave-assisted acid digestion of 6-cm long vertex posterior hair samples. The Children's Eating Habits Questionnaire-Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to obtain information on food consumption frequency of 43 food items in the month preceding hair collection. The established reference ranges were in line with data for other childhood or adolescent populations. The retained RRR factors explained 40, 50, 45, 46, 44 and 48 % of the variation of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, P and Zn concentrations in hair, respectively. Although this study demonstrated that a large proportion of hair mineral variation may be influenced by food consumption frequencies in elementary school girls, a number of food groups known to be rich sources of minerals did not show a relation with certain hair minerals. Future research should focus on mechanisms and processes involved in mineral incorporation and accumulation in scalp hair, in order to fully understand the importance and influence of diet on hair minerals.

Elemental contents in hair of children from two regions in dar es salaam

The work presented in this paper is part of the study which aims at determining the levels of elements in hair of children in Tanzania as a bioindicator of their nutrition and health. In this paper, the levels of trace elements in hair from children living in Dar es Salaam have been analysed. The analysis was carried out by long and short irradiation INAA at the reactor centre of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Rez Czech Republic. 22 samples were collected from children living at Kiwalani about 12 km from Dar es Salaam city and 16 samples from children living at Mlimani, the main campus of University of Dar es Salaam. A total of 34 elements were found in the hair of the children. There were no big differences between the concentration levels of the essential elements in hair samples collected from the children which might indicate the same food consumption habits.

Relationship between nutritional habits and hair calcium levels in young women

The present study was conducted to investigate whether hair calcium levels are related to nutritional habits, selected status parameters, and life-style factors in young women. Eighty-five healthy female students neither pregnant nor lactating, using no hair dyes or permanents were recruited for the study. Food consumption data, including fortified products and dietary supplements were collected with 4-day records. The calcium levels in hair and serum were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Serum osteocalcin and the C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen were assayed by ELISA. The women were divided into four groups according to their total vitamin D and calcium intakes and hair calcium levels. At adequate calcium intake and comparable serum bone biomarker levels, supplemental vitamin D increased the hair calcium levels. On the other hand, at lower than estimated adequate requirement of vitamin D intake the hair calcium levels were comparable in women with low calcium intakes but consuming high amounts of meat products or those whose diets were rich in dairy products, possibly due to homeostatic mechanisms. Elevated hair calcium was seen in 25% of subjects and could not be related to nutritional or life-style factors. The results show that the hair calcium levels were weakly related to the quality of diet, with some synergistic interactions between nutrients, especially vitamin D and magnesium.

Trace elements in clinical nutrition

Although the nearly 20 essential trace elements in humans constitute a small fraction of total body weight (less than 4%), the effect of their presence on well-being is enormous. Enteral nutrition, whether oral or by tube, is fraught with problems that influence nutrient absorption, distribution, metabolism, and ultimately, excretion. Parenteral nutrition, although delivered to the intravascular milieu, carries with it no guarantee that the trace mineral will indeed reach the target site for action. With the questionable nature of dietary histories and their unavailability in the setting of relatively emergent nutrition therapy, it behooves the clinician to begin complete nutrition and to include recommended trace elements early on. The clinician must also be ever vigilant about delivering sufficient full-strength commercially available enteral formula to provide the recommended dietary allowances of trace minerals.

Patients with homocystinuria: high metal concentrations in hair, blood and urine

Patients with homocystinuria excrete a large amount of metal in their urine. Homocysteine similar to penicillamine, administration to methylmercury treated rats resulted in a large amount of urinary methylmercury excretion. These results suggested that the total metal amounts in the whole body of patients with homocystinuria might be decreased. However, actually metal concentrations in hair and plasma of these patients were higher than those of normal controls. High plasma and hair metal levels are not accounted for in patients with homocystinuria. The physiological metal excretory mechanism in which small amounts of metals bind to the small, plasma molecular substances filter through the kidney and emerge in the urine is necessary for reconfirmation. Strongly perturbed metal metabolism exists in the patients with homocystinuria.