Anthropometric measures and zinc status of children with sickle cell anaemia in Zaria.

Abstract

Summary: One hundred and nineteen children aged 12 to 119 months with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and 119 age-and sex-matched controls were studied to determine if there was any relationship between erythrocyte zinc concentration and anthropometric meas urements. All SCA children were on steady state before recruitment into the study. The SCA subjects had significantly smaller anthropometric measurements with the deficits becoming more pronounced with advancing age. The mean (+1SD) erythrocyte zinc concentration in SCA subjects was 31.9 +9.8 mg/g Hb and that in control subjects was 42. 3 16.2 mg/g Hb (p=0.0000001). The difference in mean erythrocyte zinc concen tration also became more pronounced with increasing age. Whereas height and erythro cyte zinc concentration have a positive and significant linear relationship in control sub jects (partial regression coefficient=0.56, p=0.0076) no such relationship was detected in SCA subjects (partial regression coefficient = -0.04, p=0.954). Other anthropometric measurements were not linearly correlated with erythrocyte zinc concentration in ei ther SCA or control subjects. It is suggested that Nigerian studies be conducted to deter mine the significance of zinc deficiency in SCA subjects.