Urinary zinc excretion and zinc status of patients with beta-thalassemia major

In this study zinc status and urinary zinc excretion with and without desfe rrioxamine (DFO) infusion and the relationship between urinary zinc excreti on and renal tubular dysfunction in thalassemia major (TM) patients were in vestigated. Forty TM patients were given four DFO infusions on alternate da ys over a 1-wk period prior to the transfusion. On each day that DFO was gi ven, a 24-h urine collection initiated. DFO was omitted for 1-wk before the following transfusion and during the period four 24-h wine collections wer e performed. Twenty healthy children provided 24-h urine collection as cont rols. Blood samples were taken on each of two consecutive transfusion days of the patients and from the controls. Urinary zinc excretion was measured and plasma and red blood cell (RBC) zinc analysis were performed by inducti vely coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrophotometry. Urinary N-acetyl-bet a-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity and creatinine were determined in mornin g urine specimens. The mean plasma zinc concentration was significantly low er in the patients not given DFO com pared to the values of the patients gi ven DFO and the control group. The mean RBC zinc concentration (mu mol/g Hb ) in the patients (with and without DFO) and the control group were similar . Urinary zinc excretion was significantly higher in the patients receiving DFO com pared to the control group, whereas urinary zinc excretion in the patients not given DFO was not different from the controls. Urinary NAG ind ices (U/g Cr) were significantly higher in the patients com pared to contro ls. Urinary zinc excretion was correlated with the urinary NAG indices.