title: Iron intake, red cell indicators of iron status, and DNA damage in young subjects.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: PPG em Promoção da Saúde, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, Río Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prá
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bortoluzzi
authors.forename: Luiza Louzada
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Liziane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hermes
authors.forename: Jorge André
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Horta
authors.forename: Sharbel Weidner
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Maluf
authors.forename: João Antonio Pêgas
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenech
authors.forename: Silvia Isabel Rech
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Franke
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006454:Hemoglobins; D019266:Iron, Dietary