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Article: Plasma Zinc Levels Inversely Correlate with Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 Concentration in Children with Sickle Cell Disease
- Article from:
- Journal of the National Medical Association
- Article date:
- August 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright National Medical Association Aug 2006. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Zinc deficiency has been implicated in impaired cell-mediated immunity of children with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, its influence on the expression of vascular cell-adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) on endothelial cells, a protein involved in vasoocclusion, has not been previously investigated. We therefore measured (soluble) sVCAM-1 and zinc in 76 SCD children and 96 non-SCD children, mean age 7.73 years and 11.24 years, respectively. Although mean zinc levels of both groups were within the normal range (≈14.5 µmol/l), 14.5% of SCD and 11% of non-SCD children (without inflammation) had levels below normal (10.7 µmol/L). Mean sVCAM-1 concentrations of SCD children (837 µg/l) ...