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Zinc sulfate supplementation improves thyroid function in hypozincemic down children

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Abstract

In subjects affected by trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), hypothyroidism is the most common endocrinological deficit. Plasma zinc levels, which are commonly detected below the normal range in Down patients, are related to some endocrinological and immunological functions; in fact, zinc deficiency has been shown to impair immune response and growth rate. Aims of this study were to evaluate (1) the role of zinc deficiency in subclinical hypothyroidism and (2) thyroid function changes in Down children cyclically supplemented with zinc sulfate. Inverse correlations have been observed between age and triiodotironine (T3) and between zinc and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH); higher TSH levels have been found in hypozincemic patients at the beginning of the study. After 6 mo of supplementation, an improvement of thyroid function (TSH levels: 3.96 ± 1.84 vs 2.64 ± 1.33 mUI/mL basally and after 6 mo, respectively) was observed in hypozincemic patients. In the second cycle of supplementation, a similar trend of TSH was observed. At the end of the study, TSH significantly decreased in treated hypozincemic subjects (4.48 ± 1.93 vs 2.96 ± 1.20 mUI/mL) and it was no longer different in comparison to normozincemic patients. We suggest zinc supplementation to the diet in hypozincemic Down children as a simple and useful therapeutic tool.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cattedra di Endocrinologia, Università “G. D’ Annunzio,”, Chieti, Italy

    Ines Bucci, Giorgio Napolitano, Cesidio Giuliani, Serafino Lio, Anita Minnucci & Fabrizio Monaco

  2. Istituto di Merceologia, Università “G. D’ Annunzio,”, Chieti, Italy

    Franco Di Giacomo

  3. Cattedra di Genetica Umana, Università “G. D’ Annunzio,”, Chieti, Italy

    Giuseppe Calabrese

  4. Cattedra di Neonatologia, Università “G. D’ Annunzio,”, Chieti, Italy

    Giuseppe Sabatino & Giandomenico Palka

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  1. Ines Bucci
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Bucci, I., Napolitano, G., Giuliani, C. et al. Zinc sulfate supplementation improves thyroid function in hypozincemic down children. Biol Trace Elem Res 67, 257–268 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02784425

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02784425

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