Journal article
Zinc deficiency aggravates abnormal glucose metabolism in thalassemia major patients
Medical science monitor, Vol.13(5), pp.CR235-CR239
05/01/2007
PMID: 17476196
Abstract
BACKGROUNDThe aim was to determine whether reduced serum zinc level has a contributory effect on impairment of insulin secretion in beta-thalassemic patients with transfusion-induced iron overload.MATERIAL/METHODSSeventy thalassemia patients who received deferoxamine chelation therapy and 69 healthy individuals as the control group were evaluated. A standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed and blood samples for measurement of serum ferritin, zinc, and insulin concentrations were obtained.RESULTSAlthough the fasting serum insulin concentrations were quite similar between the patient and the control groups, serum insulin levels were significantly lower in the thalassemia patients one hour and two hours after oral glucose load ingestion compared with the healthy controls. Among the thalassemic adults, zinc deficiency (present in 37% of patients) resulted in significantly lower fasting and 1-hour post-OGTT serum insulin concentrations. The serum zinc level in patients with impaired OGTT was also considerably lower than in patients with normal OGTT.CONCLUSIONSThese data support the assumption that zinc deficiency might lead to an exacerbation of the inability of the pancreas to secrete sufficient amounts of insulin in response to glucose stimulation in beta-thalassemia patients. We suggest that serum zinc levels be routinely monitored in these patients as it might provide useful complementaly information regarding glucose metabolism.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Zinc deficiency aggravates abnormal glucose metabolism in thalassemia major patients
- Creators
- Mahmood Hadipour DehshalAmir Hooshang HooghooghiAbbas KebryaeezadehMorteza KheirabadiShahram KazemiAzadeh NassehAhmad ShariftabriziParvin Pasalar
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Medical science monitor, Vol.13(5), pp.CR235-CR239
- PMID
- 17476196
- ISSN
- 1234-1010
- eISSN
- 1643-3750
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/01/2007
- Academic Unit
- Radiology
- Record Identifier
- 9984318780502771
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