[Prevalence of hypovitaminosis a in children of peripheral districts of Campinas São Paulo, Brazil]. / Prevalência de hipovitaminose a em crianças da periferia do município de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil.

The prevalence of hypovitaminosis A among children of the peripheral districts of the city of Campinas, S o Paulo, Brazil, was estimated by determining serum retinol levels by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) in a sample of 131 children aged between three and ten years, between April 1991 and February 1992. A prevalence of 17.6% and retinol concentrations in the range of 0.35 to 0.70 micromol/L were found (CI=11.1-24.1; 95%), indicating the existence of public health risk Ophthalmological examinations, however, failed to detect any cases of xerophthalmy. Additional characterization of the sample was obtained from 341 children. The per capita income of the average household was surprisingly high for low-income areas. According to FAO-WHO standards, food consumption was adequate only for protein (133.96%). Adequacy levels were low for energy (87.76%) and particularly for vitamin A (66.13%) and iron (42.14%). Height for-age and weight-for-height anthropometric indices revealed that many children were located below -1 standard deviation.

[Trace elements balance in treated phenylketonuria children. Consequences of selenium deficiency on lipid peroxidation]. / Equilibre des oligoelements chez l'enfant phenylcetonurique traite. Consequences de la carence en selenium sur la peroxidation lipidique.

We studied Ca and Mg and trace elements (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, Se) in 15 P.K.U. children treated with strict Phe-reduced diet and in a control group. P.K.U. children are significantly lower (p < 0.01) plasma and erythrocyte Se as well as significantly lower (p < 0.01) activities of Glutathione-Peroxidase (GSH-Px), a seleno-dependent enzyme in erythrocytes and in plasma. Concomitantly with defective GSH-Px activities we observe significantly (p < 0.01) increased levels of lipid peroxidation products: malonaldialdehyde (MDA) and organic hydroperoxides (O.H.P.). So, Se supplementation appears to be necessary in low phenylalanine products used in P.K.U. treatment.

Selenium, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and lipid peroxidation products before and after selenium supplementation.

Treated phenylketonuric (PKU) children are at risk of selenium deficiency. We have studied 15 treated PKU children and 30 control children. We observed significantly lower (P less than 0.0005) plasma and erythrocyte selenium, as well as significantly lower (P less than 0.0005) plasma and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities (GSH-Px) in PKU children than in controls. The lipid peroxidation products, evaluated as plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), was higher (P less than 0.0005) in PKU children than in controls. Specific oral sodium selenite supplementation (Selenium: 0.13 mumol/kg/day) resulted in a rapid increase of plasma selenium and GSH-Px activity, and after 10 days and 1 month respectively significant difference is no longer observed between PKU children and controls values. Statistically significant differences in erythrocyte selenium, erythrocyte GSH-Px activity and plasma MDA between PKU and control children disappear after respectively 2 months, 4 months and 6 months of selenium supplementation.