Síndrome de Down: aspectos epidemiológicos e alterações de micronutrientes

Abstract

Subjects with Down syndrome (DS) often develop some comorbidities, including hypothyroidism, and this fact may be related to changes in micronutrient serum levels. The aim of this study was determine the epidemiological profile and characterize the nutritional status of micronutrients in DS subjects. The epidemiological profile was determined by the analysis of DS patient medical records, treated in Juiz de Fora (MG, Brazil), from 2004-2008. For the analysis of micronutrients, DS subjects (9.7±3.4 years) were distributed in euthyroid (n=10) and hypothyroid (n=10) and the control group (8.9±2.8 years, n=34) was selected from students, matched by sex and age. Serum levels of selenium, zinc, copper, iron and magnesium were quantified using atomic absorption spectrometry. DS prevalence was 16.6/10,000 live births. Of the 235 DS subjects, 50.6% were male, 18.8% had thyroid dysfunction and 31.1% had congenital heart defects. DS subjects had serum levels of selenium (38.6±10.5 μg/L), zinc (64.7±11.8 μg/dL) and copper (110.9±20.7 μg/dL) significantly different from the control group (49.7±10.2 μg/L, 75.2±18.1 μg/dL and 100.4±17.1 μg/dL, respectively). There were no significant statistical differences between these groups in the serum levels of iron and magnesium, as well as in the serum levels of micronutrients assessed among individuals with DS (euthyroid and hypothyroid). The estimated prevalence of DS was similar to the values described for Brazil and Latin America. Altered serum levels of selenium, zinc and copper were observed in DS, but they did not relate to hypothyroidism in this population.