title: Inverse correlation between serum calcium and copper levels in male urban Colombian preschool children: relationships with anthropometry and age.
abstract: Copper and calcium are essential for human growth and development. The present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between calcium and copper levels, as well as their relationship to age and anthropometry in 180 preschool children ages 2-5 years old. Serum copper levels were inversely correlated with age (r = -0.184, P = 0.032) and height (r = -0.175, P = 0.043) in the whole group and with height for age Z score only in male children (r = -0.291, P = 0.016). The correlation with age is not maintained when it is analyzed for gender. Serum calcium values in the total group were inversely correlated with weight (r = -0.153, P = 0.044) and weight for height Z score (r = -0.246, P = 0.001). No differences were found for gender in the levels of both metals. A negative relationship between serum calcium and copper was found only in male children (r = -0.339, P = 0.005). Studies are required in other populations and experimental designs that can explain an inverse relationship between serum calcium and copper levels.
authors: Physiological Sciences Department, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia. fabian.suarezuv@gmail.com
authors: Milton Fabian
authors: MF
authors: Suárez-Ortegón
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Jiménez
authors: Mildrey
authors: M
authors: Mosquera
authors: Alberto Gonzalo
authors: AG
authors: Pradilla
authors: Ana Beatriz
authors: AB
authors: Gracia
authors: Cecilia
authors: C
authors: Aguilar de Plata
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D002118:Calcium