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Hair Mineral and Trace Element Content in Children with Down's Syndrome
Andrey R Grabeklis1,2, Anatoly V Skalny3,4,5, Anastasia A Skalnaya6
1Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl, Russia.
Insights
Children with Down syndrome show altered hair mineral and trace element levels, with higher magnesium, phosphorus, iodine, chromium, silicon, zinc, and lead, but lower mercury. Phosphorus levels were particularly linked to Down syndrome status.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
- Genetics
Background:
- Down syndrome is a genetic disorder associated with various health complications.
- Nutritional status, including mineral and trace element levels, may be affected in individuals with Down syndrome.
- Early assessment of these elements is crucial for understanding developmental impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare hair mineral and trace element concentrations in young children with Down syndrome versus healthy controls.
- To identify specific elements that are significantly altered in children with Down syndrome.
- To explore potential age-dependent differences in these elemental alterations.
Main Methods:
- Hair samples were collected from 40 children with Down syndrome and 40 age-matched controls (1-2 years old).
- Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for quantitative analysis of various minerals and trace elements.
- Statistical analyses, including multiple regression and principal component analysis (PCA), were employed to interpret the data.
Main Results:
- Children with Down syndrome exhibited significantly higher hair levels of magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), iodine (I), chromium (Cr), silicon (Si), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb) compared to controls.
- Hair mercury (Hg) levels were notably lower in the Down syndrome group.
- Phosphorus (P) levels showed a significant positive correlation with Down syndrome status, and alterations were age-dependent, with essential elements differing in 1-year-olds and toxic elements in 2-year-olds.
Conclusions:
- Young children with Down syndrome present with distinct alterations in hair mineral and trace element profiles.
- Phosphorus emerged as a key indicator element significantly associated with Down syndrome.
- These findings highlight the importance of monitoring mineral and trace element status in early childhood Down syndrome management.
Abstract:
The objective of the present study was to assess the level of minerals and trace elements in 40 children with Down's syndrome and 40 controls aged 1-2 years old. Hair mineral and trace element analysis was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The obtained data demonstrate that hair levels of Mg, P, I, Cr, Si, Zn, and Pb in Down's syndrome patients exceeded the respective control values by 36, 36, 93, 57, 45, 28, and 54%, whereas hair mercury was more than twofold lower in children with Down's syndrome. The observed difference in the levels of trace elements was age-dependent. In particular, in 1-year-olds, major differences were observed for essential elements (Cr, Si, Zn), whereas in 2-year-olds-for toxic elements (Hg, Pb). At the same time, hair P levels in Down's syndrome patients were 14 and 35% higher at the age of 1 and 2 years in comparison to the respective controls. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a model incorporating all elements, being characterized by a significant group difference, accounted for 42.5% of status variability. At the same time, only hair phosphorus was significantly interrelated with Down's syndrome status (β = 0.478; p < 0.001). Principal component analysis (PCA) used As, Ca, Cr, Fe, Hg, I, Mg, P, Pb, Se, Si, Sn, and Zn as predictors, with the resulting R2 = 0.559. The OPLS-DA models also separated between Down's and health control groups. Therefore, 1-2-year-old patients with Down's syndrome are characterized by significant alterations of mineral and trace element status.