Bone health evaluation of children and adolescents with homozygous β-thalassemia: implications for practice.

Objective: Bone tissue is adversely affected in patients with homozygous β-thalassemia. The aim of this study was to find warning signs of bone loss in young patients with β-thalassemia and allow prompt therapeutic interventions.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients were studied, 20 boys and 18 girls, aged 5 to 18 years (median = 14.

Serum copper and zinc concentrations in healthy children aged 3-14 years in Greece.

Zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) are essential trace elements in people, being required for functional activity of several enzyme systems. In this study, we determined Cu and Zn concentrations in the serum of 105 healthy children randomly selected, aged 3-14 yr, residing in a region of Greece (Thrace), and we investigated their association with children's gender, age, height, weight, and nutritional habits. The mean levels of Zn and Cu were 15.