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Serum zinc and copper levels in children with chronic renal failure

Seyed Taher Esfahani1, Mohammad Reza Hamidian, Abbas Madani

  • 1Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. esfahani@sina.tums.ac.ir

Pediatric Nephrology (Berlin, Germany)
|June 23, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Children undergoing chronic hemodialysis show decreased serum zinc levels, particularly with longer treatment durations. These zinc deficiencies may contribute to health issues in pediatric patients with chronic renal failure.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Trace Element Metabolism
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Children with chronic renal failure (CRF) may experience altered trace element levels.
  • Hemodialysis is a common treatment for pediatric CRF, but its impact on nutrient status requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate serum zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) levels in children with CRF undergoing hemodialysis versus conservative management.
  • To determine the effect of hemodialysis duration on serum Zn levels in pediatric CRF patients.

Main Methods:

  • Serum Zn and Cu levels were measured in children with CRF on hemodialysis (n=40), CRF on conservative management (n=31), and healthy controls (n=30) using proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE).
  • Group 1 (hemodialysis) was further divided into subgroups based on treatment duration (<18 months vs. >18 months).

Main Results:

  • Serum Zn levels were significantly lower in children on hemodialysis compared to both conservative management and healthy groups (p<0.001).
  • No significant differences in serum Cu levels were observed among the groups.
  • Serum Zn levels were inversely correlated with the duration of hemodialysis, being lower in patients on therapy for longer periods (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Chronic hemodialysis in children with CRF can lead to significant zinc deficiencies.
  • The severity of zinc deficiency increases with the duration of hemodialysis treatment.
  • Zinc deficiency may play a role in the health complications observed in pediatric patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis.
Abstract

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