Trace Elements in Medicine (Moscow)
2019, 20(4): 31-40
ORIGINAL PAPERS

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MAJOR AND TRACE ELEMENT CONTENT IN THE HAIR OF CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME AND OBESITY

A.R. Grabeklis^1,2,3, O.P. Ajsuvakova^1,2,3, M.M. Levina³, M.G. Skalnaya^2,3

¹ Yaroslavl State University named after P.G. Demidov, Sovetskaya St., 14, Yaroslavl, 150000, Russia
² Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Miklukho-Maklai Street, 6, Moscow, 117198, Russia
³ First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University, 19c1, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street, Moscow, 119146, Russia

DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2019-20-4-31-40 

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this report was to determine the general and specific disorders of elemental status in children with Down syndrome and obesity. Detection of chemical elements in children's hair (5-17 years old) with Down syndrome (45), obesity (45) and healthy subjects (45) was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Children with Down syndrome and obesity were found to have significant decreases in Ca (30% and 21%), Co (40% and 18%), Fe (42% and 36%), I (29% and 40%), Mg (26% and 39%) and Zn (17% and 25%) in their hair compared to control group, respectively. At the same time, children with Down syndrome were characterized by a significant decrease in copper and manganese levels in their hair by 16% and 29% compared to control group, while the phosphorus content in their hair was higher than control group values by 23%. Multiple regression analysis showed that the zinc level in the hair was characterized by a reliable inverse relationship with body weight (β = -0.163) and BMI (β = -0.232). At the same time, the growth of children was negatively related to the level of magnesium (β = -0.170) and phosphorus (β = -0.173) in the hair, while the calcium content was characterized by a direct relationship (β = 0.213). Thus, it is suggested that zinc metabolic disorder in children with Down syndrome may at least partially mediate the risk of obesity. At the same time, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium metabolic disturbances may be associated with impaired physical development and linear growth. Presumably, the correction of mineral metabolism in patients with Down syndrome may be a tool for preventive correction of metabolic disorders.

KEYWORDS: zinc, phosphorus, calcium, obesity, growth, physical development.