Oxidative Stress and Zinc Status in Children with β-Thalassemia Major and its Relation to Growth Retardation

Abstract

Beta thalassemia Major is the commonest cause of hemolytic anemia in Egypt (El Beshlawy et al., 1989). Growth disturbance is a major clinical feature of β- thalassemia major children (Spiliotis, 1998). Zinc deficiency is considered to be one of the main factors contributing to growth and puberty disorders in thalassemic patients (Mahyar, 2005). Oxidative stress plays a role in growth retardation in β- thalassemia major children (Low, 2005). The objective of the present study was to assess oxidative stress and zinc status and its relation to growth retardation in children with β-thalassemia major. This work was carried out in the duration from December 2010 to December 2012 and included 50 β- thalassemia major children recruited from the Hematology clinic, Children’s Hospital, Ain Shams University, their ages ranged from 5 to 12 years with a mean of 8.5±2.3, from both sexes and 50 healthy children as a control group.