MICROBIOELEMENTS AND ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN OF PRESCHOOL AGE

Abstract

. Research aim consisted in finding out the influence degree of the particular indicators of microbioelements balance on the clinical severity of acute respiratory infection (ARI), the recurrence indices of such infections and manifestations of undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia in children aged 1-6 years old. Object and methods. Thirty children (14 boys and 16 girls) aged one to six years old, undergoing inpatient treatment for acute respiratory infection, were involved in the clinical study. The infection index, which is the ratio of ARI cases in the preceding year to the child’s age in months, was calculated for each child. The resistance index as the ratio of the cases of acute respiratory infections per month in the preceding year was computed as well. In addition, the following anthropometric ratios as Verveck index, the length of hand, foot and the arm span (each size separately) to body length, and biparietal head size to its occipital-frontal size were calculated. Subsequently the above-mentioned anthropometric ratios underwent the minimax Z-standardization. Then, the integral indicator of dolichostenomelia was obtained for each child by summing up the standardized anthropometric ratios. Besides, the integral indicator of inflammation was calculated by means of the minimax Z-standardization for each patient. In this regard, the values of one clinical sign (peak body temperature during ARI) and two indicators of clinical blood count (total number of white cells and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) were summarized. What is more, the quantifying of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), chrome (Cr), cobalt (Co), bromine (Br) and nickel (Ni) in children’s hair was carried out with the use of X-ray fluorescence analysis. The statistical processing of the obtained primary digital material was performed by using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 licensed program. Only nonparametric statistics methods were applied for the purpose. Research results. The concentration of Zn (29/30), Fe (27/30), Cu (27/30), Se (28/30), Mn (29/30) and Cr (27/30) turned out to be of below-normal values in the hair of the majority of patients. At the same time, Co and Ni concentrations were within their reference ranges in all children. The significant interrelationship between the studied microbioelements and the integral indicator of dolichostenomelia, which is considered as an objective marker of undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia, was not established. The evident correlation between these microbioelements and the integral indicator of inflammation was not noted as well. Only rare interrelationship confirmations between the studied microbioelements were showed – Zn and Br (τb = -0,425; p = 0,001), Mn and Se (τb = 0,375; p = 0,005), Mn and Cr (τb = 0,279; p = 0,036), Mn and Ni (τb = 0,301; p = 0,022). Alongside, statistically significant correlations between the pair ratios of the studied microbioelements were far more often found. The close interdependence of the most of the studied essential microbioelements through their ratio to nickel should be highlighted. Conclusions. Consequently, the intensity of the temperature reaction in the examined children is in the direct correlation to Ni content in the hair, and reverse correlation to Fe/Ni and Co/Ni ratios. Integral indices of ARI recurrence are directly or inversely associated with Ni concentration and Fe/Br, Fe/Ni, Mn/Cr, Mn/Br, Cr/Ni ratios in the hair. The significant correlation relationships between the studied microbioelements and especially their ratios testify that these substances are closely interdependent.

Keywords

• children of preschool age
• microbioelements
• respiratory infections
• undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia.