title: Serum heavy metal and antioxidant element levels of children with recurrent wheezing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study is to investigate the levels of toxic heavy metals related with environmental pollution and trace elements involved in antioxidant system in children suffering from recurrent wheezing.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred children with recurrent wheezing (at least three recurrences) between the ages from 1 to 6 years took part in the study, and also 116 age- and sex- matched healthy children were involved in the study as a control group. Venous blood samples were collected and serum mercury, lead, aluminium, zinc, selenium, and copper levels were studied using ICP-MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum lead (0.76±0.15 vs. 0.27±0.01, p:0.001) and mercury levels (1.31±0.15 vs 0.71±0.05, p<0.001) were higher in wheezy group than those acquired from the control group. Serum zinc (69.4±1.65 vs. 78.9±2.78, p:0.005) and selenium (115.6±1.87 vs. 125.4±2.94, p:0.008) levels were lower in wheezy group than those acquired from the control group. Serum zinc levels were found to be correlated with number of ARTIs (r(p):-0.332, p:0.001) and the number of wheezy attacks (r(p):-0.776, p<0.001) during the previous year in the wheezy group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated levels of serum lead and mercury and low levels of zinc and selenium may suggest some disturbances in the antioxidant system in children with recurrent wheezing. This means that children with recurrent wheezing are much more susceptible to environmental pollutants and respiratory tract infections than healthy children and this heavy metal-antioxidant relationship may play a role as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of recurrent wheezing in children.
authors.affiliation: Kecioren Education and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatric Allergy, Ankara, Turkey. cemrazi2@gmail.com
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Razi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harmanci
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renda
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012008:Recurrence; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014131:Trace Elements