This Nigerian hospital study measured serum zinc in children with sickle cell anemia during painful crisis, in steady state, and in children without the disease. Serum zinc was lowest during painful crisis, and all groups had mean values below the international reference range the authors cite. Dietary zinc content of recent meals was assessed only qualitatively.
Key numbers
- Serum zinc (mean ± SD, µg/dL): controls 42.7 ± 13.6; steady state 38.4 ± 13.8; painful crisis 26.3 ± 11.3 (F = 30.9, P < 0.001) (Table 1, p. 3).
- All children with sickle cell anemia combined 32.3 ± 14.0 µg/dL vs controls 42.7 ± 13.6 (P < 0.001) (Abstract, p. 1).
- The authors cite an international normal range of 50 to 150 µg/dL (7.65 to 22.95 µmol/L) (Discussion).
- Serum zinc correlated with hemoglobin only in controls (r = 0.4, P = 0.001) (Abstract, p. 1).
Methods (brief)
Children were recruited over 12 months at a Lagos teaching hospital, excluding those on zinc-containing medicines or recently transfused. Serum zinc was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry; dietary zinc was judged qualitatively from a 24-hour recall and the last meal.
Evidence fitness
The study supports the finding of low serum zinc in this Lagos child sample, lowest during sickle cell painful crisis. It does not show that low zinc causes crisis, and the qualitative diet assessment cannot estimate intake.
Limitations
Serum zinc was drawn from non-fasting children. Analytical quality control is not described. Even controls were below the cited reference range, so population-wide low zinc or a method bias cannot be separated.
Related evidence
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