الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 124 |  |  |
| | | from | 124 | | |
Abstract
Copper is a trace element that is essential for the normal growth and development of all living organisms. In humans, Copper is incorporated into a variety of proteins and metalloenzymes which perform essential metabolic functions; the micronutrient is necessary for the proper growth, development, and maintenance of bone, connective tissue, brain, heart, and many other body organs.
Copper also stimulates the immune system to fight infections, to repair injured tissues, promote healing and helps to neutralize free-radicals which can cause severe damage to cells.
Therefore, this study is focus on estimation of serum copper in healthy children and compare it with serum copper level in different diseases and we choice malnutrition and iron deficiency anemia because of their importance and spread in Egypt.
The study was carried out on 80 patients with age range from 6 Months to 3 Years at El-Minia University hospital from March to November 2011.Patients were classified into 4 groups as follows:
1- Group I:
Twenty patients with low weight for age (14 males and 6 females) selected from outpatient clinic (Weight/standard wt% ranging from 60-80% with no edema).
2- Group II:
Twenty patients with severe malnutrition (12 males and 8 females) selected among those admitted to the in-patient department, children҆s hospital, El-Minia University.
(Weight/standard wt% is less than 60-80% with or without edema).
3- Group III:
Twenty patients from the hematology clinic diagnosed as iron deficiency anemia (8 males and 12 females).
4- Twenty age and sex-matched well-nourished and apparently healthy children (Weight ≥ 80% of the standard weight/wt %). Chosen from outpatient’s clinic served as the controls (Group IV).
Our results revealed that :
• The percentage of weight / standard weight is significantly lower in different studied groups compared to control.
• There is significantly lower mean serum copper concentrations in group I (96.81 ± 5.65) compared to control (119.05 ± 8.77).
• The mean values of HB are significantly lower in different studied groups compared to control.
• The mean values of WBCs are significantly higher in group II as compare to the control.
• There were strong negative correlation between serum copper and both hair loss and hypopigmentation in group II, the serum copper level decrease with the severity of malnutrion and the more hair and skin changes the lower the serum copper.