title: Plasma zinc levels inversely correlate with vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 concentration in children with sickle cell disease.
abstract: 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 (approximately 14.5 micromol/l), 14.5 % of SCD and 11% of non-SCD children (without inflammation) had levels below normal (10.7 micromol/L). Mean sVCAM-1 concentrations of SCD children (837 microg/l) were significantly higher than those of controls (627 microg/l) (p < 0.001). Differences persisted after taking into account age, hemoglobin phenotype, and inflammation (alpha-l acid glycoprotein >l g/l and C-reactive protein >10 mg/I). sVCAM-1 negatively correlated with serum (r = -0.444) and red blood cells zinc (r = -0.242, p < 0.05) but not with acute-phase proteins. Mean sVCAM-1 tended to be higher in SCD children with than in those without a history of a health problem (infection, pain crisis or were transfused; not significant). Data suggest that zinc may modulate the clinical status of SCD children through VCAM-1 expression, and zinc supplementation may be beneficial in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of Research, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 200 Henry Clay, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA. skuvib@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: Solo R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kuvibidila
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sandoval
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lao
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Velez
authors.forename: Lolie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ode
authors.forename: Renée
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Raj P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Warrier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D015032:Zinc