title: Zinc content of red and white blood cells in aboriginal children.
abstract: Studies were carried out on erythrocyte, granulocyte and lymphocyte zinc content of aboriginal children at the La Grange settlement in the north-west area of the Kimberley. Forty-eight children, 34 boys and 14 girls between 6 and 13 years were studied. Only the boys were investigated for white blood cell (WBC) zinc. Twenty-five Caucasian children volunteered to give blood for control studies. Two approaches were made concerning zinc analyses, atomic absorption spectroscopy and proton induced x-ray emission. It was found that lymphocyte, granulocyte and erythrocyte zinc content were significantly reduced in aboriginal boys aged 6 to 13 years. Since the turnover of white blood cells is relatively fast, it follows that the zinc content of these cells may be a true index of current zinc status confirming previous observations.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D011522:Protons; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
chemical_list: D011522:Protons; D015032:Zinc