title: Trace elements in children suffering from sickle cell anemia: A case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Information on serum albumin and trace elements among children suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) was poorly documented in Africa. The aim of this study was to describe and to compare different values of trace elements with published reports from other parts of the world.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a case-control study. Seventy-six steady state children suffering from SCA (Hb-SS). One hundred and fifty-two children were recruited with 76 (cases, Hb-SS) and 76 (control, Hb-AA) to compare the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 10.0 years (SD=5.4) in SCA children and 9.2 years (SD=4.7) in the control group. The mean level of zinc and magnesium were slightly lower in the Hb-SS group than in the Hb-AA group (P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The first literature about trace elements in SCA is briefly reported in Central Africa. In our midst, zinc, magnesium, and selenium deficiencies underline the need for their systematic among all children with SCA to identify patients with these deficiencies and provide early management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Lubumbashi, University of Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Joseph K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Sungu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Lubumbashi, University of Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mukuku
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Lubumbashi, University of Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Augustin Mulangu
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mutombo
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mawaw
authors.affiliation: Division of Hemato-oncology and Nephrology, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital of Kinshasa, School of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Michel N
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7479-1170
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Aloni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Lubumbashi, University of Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.|School of Public Health, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Oscar N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Luboya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008274:Magnesium / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D012643:Selenium; D008274:Magnesium; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Democratic Republic of Congo; Lubumbashi; children; sickle cell anemia; trace elements