title: Evaluation of status of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium levels in biological samples in children of different age groups with normal vision and night blindness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The most common cause of blindness in developing countries is vitamin A deficiency. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 13.8 million children have some degree of visual loss related to vitamin A deficiency. The causes of night blindness in children are multifactorial and particular consideration has been given to childhood nutritional deficiency, which is the most common problem found in underdeveloped countries. Such deficiency can result in physiological and pathological processes that in turn influence biological sample composition. Vitamin and mineral deficiency prevents more than two billion people from achieving their full intellectual and physical potential.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was designed to compare the levels of magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), and sodium (Na) in scalp hair, serum, blood, and urine of night blindness children in two age groups, (1-5) and (6-10) years, of both genders comparing them to sex- and age-matched controls. A microwave assisted wet acid digestion procedure was developed as a sample pretreatment for the determination of Mg, Ca, K, and Na in biological samples of children with night blindness. The proposed method was validated by using conventional wet digestion and certified reference samples of hair, serum, blood, and urine. The digests of all biological samples were analysed for Mg, Ca, K, and Na by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) using an air/acetylene flame.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated significantly lower levels of Mg, Ca, and K in the biological samples (blood, serum, and scalp hair) of male and female children with night blindness and higher values of Na compared with control subjects of both genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data present guidance to clinicians and other professionals investigating deficiency of essential mineral elements in biological samples (scalp hair, serum, and blood) of children with night blindness.
authors: Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan. hassanimranafridi@yahoo.com
authors: Hassan Imran
authors: HI
authors: Afridi
authors: Tasneem Gul
authors: TG
authors: Kazi
authors: Naveed
authors: N
authors: Kazi
authors: Ghulam Abbas
authors: GA
authors: Kandhro
authors: Jameel Ahmed
authors: JA
authors: Baig
authors: Abdul Qadir
authors: AQ
authors: Shah
authors: Sumaira
authors: S
authors: Khan
authors: Nida Fatima
authors: NF
authors: Kolachi
authors: Sham Kumar
authors: SK
authors: Wadhwa
authors: Faheem
authors: F
authors: Shah
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood; D002412:Cations / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008274:Magnesium / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D009755:Night Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012964:Sodium / Q000032:analysis; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; D012964:Sodium; D003404:Creatinine; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium