Association of serum MDA with Magnesium, Calcium and Zinc levels in thalassemic and healthy children

The thalassemias are group of haemoglobin disorders, initially found in 1925 in United States and Italy. It is the genetic disorder which passed down through families. In this disease deficient haemoglobin formation occurs which leads to gross destruction of R.B.C., subsequently leads to anaemia. The treatment of thalassemic patients involves mostly blood transfusion, lead to accumulation of excess iron in the body tissues. This secondary iron overload is responsible for peroxidative damage by increased production of reactive oxygen species within the erythrocytes leading to oxidative stress. This increased oxidative stress will cause damage of many organs including lungs, liver and brain.

This study was conducted in Department of Biochemistry with collaboration of Dept. of paediatrics S.P. Medical College and attached Hospital, Bikaner. Samples taken for study includes total 100 subjects, including 50 thalassemic and 50 healthy children as controls with age groups from 3 to 14 years. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), Mg, Ca and Zn were estimated by using standard enzymatic kits and instruments.

The mean ± SD of serum MDA, Magnesium, calcium and zinc levels were found 8.99±1.33 nmol/ml, 2.04±0.22 mg%, 9.54 ± 0.53 mg% and 105.11±9.89 μg% respectively in healthy children and 17.16±1.79 nmol/ml, 1.19±0.14 mg%, 6.88±0.61 mg% and 61.76±5.44 μg% respectively in thalassemic children.

Children who were suffering from thalassemia disease, had increased level of MDA level and decreased levels of magnesium, calcium and zinc level with respect to healthy children. The inverse relation were found between MDA and magnesium, calcium and zinc levels in thalassemic subjects.