Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Positron Emission Tomography Using 64-Copper as a Tracer for the Study of Copper-Related Disorders
06:52

Positron Emission Tomography Using 64-Copper as a Tracer for the Study of Copper-Related Disorders

Published on: April 28, 2023

1.9K

Zinc, copper and iron and their interrelations in the growth of sickle cell patients

J A Pellegrini Braga1, J Kerbauy, M Fisberg

  • 1Department of Pediatric, Federal University of São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Brazil.

Archivos Latinoamericanos De Nutricion
|September 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Children with sickle cell disease (SS) exhibit malnutrition and delayed growth, with significantly lower plasma zinc and higher copper levels compared to controls. These nutritional deficits correlate with reduced stature.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutritional Science
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Sickle cell disease (SS) is a genetic blood disorder impacting children's health.
  • Nutritional status is crucial for growth and development in children with chronic diseases.
  • Socioeconomic factors can influence health outcomes in vulnerable populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the nutritional status of children with sickle cell disease (SS).
  • To compare nutritional parameters between children with SS, sickle cell trait (AS), and healthy controls (AA).
  • To investigate the relationship between nutritional status, growth, and disease parameters in SS.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of anthropometric measurements (weight, height) and growth velocity curves.
  • Biochemical assessment of plasma zinc and copper levels.
  • Evaluation of skeletal maturation and correlation with nutritional and disease markers.

Main Results:

  • Children with SS showed a tendency towards increased weight and height deficits with age.
  • Significant skeletal maturation delay was observed in the SS group but not in the AS group.
  • Lower plasma zinc and higher plasma copper levels were found in the SS group compared to AS and AA groups.

Conclusions:

  • Children with sickle cell disease exhibit malnutrition, iron deficiency, hypercupremia, and hypozincemia.
  • Low plasma zinc levels were associated with reduced height percentile in the SS group.
  • These findings highlight significant nutritional challenges in pediatric sickle cell disease patients.

More Related Videos

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload05:23

Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload

Published on: March 14, 2017

20.3K
Staphylococcus aureus Growth using Human Hemoglobin as an Iron Source06:37

Staphylococcus aureus Growth using Human Hemoglobin as an Iron Source

Published on: February 7, 2013

17.1K

Related Concept Videos

Cell Potential and Free Energy02:58

Cell Potential and Free Energy

Thermodynamics of a Redox Reaction
Thermodynamics is the branch of physics dealing with the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. In an electrochemical cell, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy.
Thus, a link can be predicted between cell potential, free energy change, and the equilibrium constant for the reaction. Cell potential can also be measured as the oxidant or the reducing strength, and similar acid-base strength measures are reflected in equilibrium...
46.4K
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
5.0K
Population Growth00:57

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
28.2K
Meristems and Plant Growth02:36

Meristems and Plant Growth

Plants grow throughout their lives; this is called indeterminate growth, and it distinguishes plants from most animals. Although certain parts of plants stop growing (e.g., leaves and flowers), others grow continuously—like roots and stems.
49.4K
Corrosion02:49

Corrosion

The degradation of metals due to natural electrochemical processes is known as corrosion. Rust formation on iron, tarnishing of silver, and the blue-green patina that develops on copper are examples of corrosion. Corrosion involves the oxidation of metals. Sometimes it is protective, such as the oxidation of copper or aluminum, wherein a protective layer of metal oxide or its derivatives forms on the surface, protecting the underlying metal from further oxidation. In other cases, corrosion is...
28.2K
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots03:02

Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots

Vascular plants, which account for over 90% of the Earth’s vegetation, all undergo primary growth—which lengthens roots and shoots. Many land plants, notably woody plants, also undergo secondary growth—which thickens roots and shoots.
60.3K