title: Assessing chaperone for Zn, Cu-superoxide dismutase as an indicator of copper deficiency in malnourished children.
abstract: It is not clear how frequent is copper deficiency in humans. Current copper markers are not sensitive enough to detect early copper deficiency and new markers are needed. CCS is a candidate to become a copper biomarker.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Measuring CCS mRNA relative expression in malnourished children and compare results (a) with those of the same children after nutritional recovery and (b) with well-nourished children.
  
  
  METHODS
  On admission to the protocol and after 15 day nutritional treatment, severely (G1=18) and moderately (G2=10) malnourished children were compared with well-nourished healthy controls (G3=15), measuring anthropometric indicators, blood biochemistry, Cu, Fe and Zn serum concentrations, ceruloplasmin, C Reactive protein and mRNA abundance of CCS, SOD and MT2 in peripheral mononuclear cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In malnourished groups, mean serum copper concentration was below the cut-off on admission to hospital and increased after 15 days (t-test, p<0.01). On admission to protocol, CCS mRNA abundance in G1 and G2 was higher than in G3 (one way ANOVA, p<0.001). After 15 days, CCS expression decreased as expected (t-test, p<0.001). Initial SOD mRNA relative abundance was higher in study groups than controls and also between G1 and G2 (One way ANOVA, both p<0.01); after 15 days, G1 and G2 were not different (t-test, NS). MT2A abundance of transcripts did not follow a clear change pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CCS mRNA abundance responded as expected, being higher in malnourished children than in controls; nutritional recovery in these latter resulted in decreasing expression of the chaperone, supporting the hypothesis that CCS may be a copper biomarker.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arredondo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weisstaub
authors.affiliation: Universidad de San Simón, Cochabamba, Bolivia.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suazo
authors.affiliation: Universidad de San Simón, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Electronic address: Miguel.Guzman@tbiokem.lth.se.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile. Electronic address: maraya@inta.cl.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Araya
mesh_terms: D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
keywords: CCS; Copper deficiency; Malnutrition; SOD