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Bio-element status in children with acute rheumatic fever: before treatment and after clinical improvement

Mustafa Cemek1, Mehmet Emin Büyükokuroğlu, Ahmet Büyükben

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry Division, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. mcemek@yahoo.com

Pediatric Cardiology
|July 2, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) show altered bio-element levels, with specific major and trace elements differing significantly before treatment. These changes in essential elements may play a role in ARF development.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Clinical Chemistry

Background:

  • Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a multisystem autoimmune disease.
  • Bio-element homeostasis is crucial for physiological function and overall health.
  • Monitoring bio-element status is vital for understanding and managing diseases like ARF.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate alterations in serum bio-element levels in children diagnosed with ARF.
  • To compare these levels before and after treatment in pediatric ARF patients.
  • To identify potential links between element imbalances and ARF pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Serum samples were collected from 33 children with ARF and 20 healthy controls.
  • Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy was used for analysis.
  • Concentrations of 14 major and trace elements were measured.

Main Results:

  • Children with ARF exhibited higher serum potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg), and lower calcium (Ca) levels compared to controls.
  • Altered levels of trace elements were observed, including lower iron (Fe), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), and barium (Ba).
  • Conversely, higher levels of copper (Cu), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), gallium (Ga), and strontium (Sr) were found in ARF patients.

Conclusions:

  • Significant alterations in the homeostasis of major and trace elements occur in children with ARF.
  • These bio-elemental imbalances may contribute to the underlying pathogenesis of acute rheumatic fever.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the therapeutic implications of these findings.

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