Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M van Caillie-Bertrand.
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Plasma selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity in red blood cells were determined in subjects from different age groups. The selenium level (mean +/- SD) found in infancy (0 to 6 months) was 2 +/- 0.6 micrograms/dl, with the lowest value of 1 microgram/dl observed in a 4-month-old infant. These levels were significantly lower (p less than 0.001) than the value of 9.5 +/- 1.1 micrograms/dl found in the adult group and 7.7 +/- 1.3 micrograms/dl found in the group of older children (2 to 15 yr). Younger children (6 to 24 months of age) had intermediate levels of 5 +/- 1.2 micrograms/dl. When the data were plotted on a logarithmic scale as a function of age, the figure shows clearly that the plasma selenium levels increase steadily with age throughout life after an initial drop at 60 to 90 days. There was a satisfactory correlation between the plasma selenium concentration and the enzyme glutathione peroxidase activity in the red blood cells (Spearman's p = 0.45, p less than 0.005). Although very low selenium values were observed, the enzyme glutathione peroxidase activity remained above 10 U/g hemoglobin (with only one exception) in all patients.
The selenium content of expressed human milk obtained at different stages of lactation from 32 lactating mothers was measured by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry after previous wet acid digestion. The highest selenium level was found in colostrum (14.8 ng/g; wet weight), subsequently the content declined and plateaued off after one month (9.4 ng/g; wet weight). The daily selenium intake for Belgian infants of 3 months of age was found to be 7.1 micrograms (girls) and 8.1 micrograms (boys), which is lower than the values obtained in most other countries and lower than the recommended safe and adequate daily intake of 10 to 40 micrograms/day for the same age group.
Serum zinc and copper concentration, 24 hrs urinary zinc and copper excretion, plasma selenium and red blood cell glutathione peroxidase activity were measured in 13 cystic fibrosis patients aged 6 to 15 years. The mean serum zinc value +/- S.D. (17.3 mumol/l +/- 4.6) did not differ from that of the control group (17.9 mumol/l +/- 3.1). Urinary zinc excretion in 12 out of 13 patients was within the normal range (1.53-13.8 mumol/24 hrs). The mean serum copper +/- S.D. (23.8 mumol/l +/- 4.2) was not significantly elevated as compared to the value found in the control group (19.2 mumol/l +/- 3.5), but 4 children, including 1 with documented portal hypertension, showed an urinary copper excretion greater than 0.94 mumol/24 hrs (normal: 0.16-0.80 mumol/24 hrs). Mean plasma selenium +/- S.D. (0.84 mumol/l +/- 0.25) was significantly reduced as compared to the control group (1.0 mumol/l +/- 0.15) (p less than 0.05). The correlation between selenium concentration and RBC glutathione peroxidase activity was significant (p less than 0.01). A negative correlation was also found between plasma selenium and 24 hrs faecal fat excretion (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that CF children with severe dysfunction of the exocrine pancreas are at increased risk to develop symptoms of subclinical or manifest zinc and/or selenium deficiency. Appropriate supplementation should therefore systematically be considered.
The syndrome of protracted diarrhea in infancy, characterised by the passage of at least 4 loose stools a day for more than 2 weeks in an infant younger than 3 months showing a continuous loss of weight or failing to gain has been universally recognized as a severe and debilitating disorder necessitating prolonged hospitalisation. A systematic diagnostic and therapeutic approach is proposed in the light of a 4 years clinical experience at the Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam.
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