Evaluation of Serum Zinc and Antioxidant Vitamins in Adolescent Homozygous Sickle Cell Patients in Wardha, District of Central India.

Introduction: Sickle cell anaemia is a condition characterized by haemolytic and vaso-occlusive crisis. Previous studies in different part of the world have reported deficiency of zinc, vitamin C and E but the role of their supplementation in sickle cell disease remains question. Nutritional factors may contribute to clinical manifestation in rural population of developing countries specially in adolescent age group. Thus, the present study was designed in rural population of Wardha district of Maharashtra in adolescent sickle cell homozygous patients in view to evaluate serum zinc and antioxidant vitamins C and E.

Aim: To evaluate the serum zinc and antioxidant vitamins C and E in cases of adolescent homozygous sickle cell disease.

Materials And Methods: The study includes adolescent (between 10-20 years) individuals in two groups of 33 each. Group A included confirmed cases of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Group B included age and sex matched normal healthy controls. Serum zinc, vitamins C and E were analysed in all the subjects of both the groups. Data were expressed as Mean±SD; unpaired t-test was used to compare the two groups. Statistical significance was decided by calculating the p-value.

Results: Serum levels of zinc and antioxidant vitamins E and C were significantly low in sickle cell anaemia patients when compared to normal health controls (p-value<0.001).

Conclusion: Our study shows that the adolescent patients with SCD have significant low levels of zinc and significantly low antioxidant vitamins C and E, which may contribute to some of the manifestations of sickle cell disease.