Effect on element status of children

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of level of the essential elements of copper, magnesium, and zinc status in cases of teniasis in children. Copper, magnesium, and zinc levels were measured in 40 children who were positive for intestinal parasite of Taenia saginata. Scores were obtained for the positives and their 30 age- and sex-matched T. saginata-negative healthy children. The mean concentration of copper, magnesium, and zinc in blood showed no statistically difference in T. saginata-positive children than in their controls both in females (p > 0.05) and males (p > 0.05). However, a clear numerically decrease was observed especially in magnesium and zinc levels compared to the controls both in females and males. The average magnesium concentration in T. saginata-positive female children and male children were 20 +/- 1.9 and 22 +/- 2.2 mg/L and it was 27 +/- 2.1 and 27 +/- 2.3 mg/L in controls, respectively. The mean values of the zinc in blood were 0.76 +/- 0.5 and 0.72 +/- 0.4 mg/L in T. saginata-positive female children and male children and 0.85 +/- 0.3 and 0.81 +/- 0.5 mg/L in female and male controls, respectively. No correlation could be demonstrated between age and mean values of copper, magnesium, and zinc in T saginata-positive females and males and controls (p > 0.05). No significant correlation could be found between blood copper, magnesium and zinc levels in T. saginata-positive female and male children and controls (p > 0.05). Although there was no statistical correlation observed in copper, magnesium, and zinc levels between patients and controls, there seem to be, especially in magnesium and zinc levels, a decrease, whereas no change was seen in the zinc level in children infected with T saginata compared to controls.