Iron intake, red cell indicators of iron status, and DNA damage in young subjects.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the association between primary DNA damage and chromosomal damage with iron intake and red blood cell parameters of iron status in a sample of healthy children and adolescents from a low-socioeconomic community.


METHODS
The level of primary DNA damage was assessed using an alkaline comet assay and the level of chromosomal damage was assessed using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. A automated complete blood count was used to evaluate red blood cell status. The intake of iron was measured using a food-recall questionnaire.


RESULTS
According to hemoglobin levels, only 1 of the 30 subjects evaluated was anemic. Nevertheless, 43% of the sampled subjects showed decreased mean corpuscular volume in addition to an increased amount of primary DNA damage (P < 0.05). Mean corpuscular volume was negatively correlated with primary DNA damage (r = -0.429, P = 0.020) but not with chromosomal damage. The association between iron and primary DNA damage showed a U-shaped curve, indicating that an intake of approximately 15 mg of iron per day (up to two-fold of the dietary recommended intake) could minimize primary DNA damage in this age group. The frequency of micronuclei and nucleoplasmic bridges, indicators of chromosomal breakage/loss and chromosomal end-fusions, respectively, showed a negative correlation with iron intake. These results indicate that an intake of iron >15 mg/d could increase genomic stability in binucleated lymphocytes of the same group.


CONCLUSIONS
An intake of iron ≥ 15 mg/d can decrease DNA damage in young subjects.
Prá
Daniel
D
PPG em Promoção da Saúde, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, Río Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Bortoluzzi
Angelica
A
Müller
Luiza Louzada
LL
Hermes
Liziane
L
Horta
Jorge André
JA
Maluf
Sharbel Weidner
SW
Henriques
João Antonio Pêgas
JA
Fenech
Michael
M
Franke
Silvia Isabel Rech
SI
D000293:Adolescent; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D019457:Chromosome Breakage; D004249:DNA Damage; D015930:Diet Records; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D015415:Biomarkers; D006454:Hemoglobins; D019266:Iron, Dietary