Nutritional Biomarkers in Children and Adolescents with Beta-Thalassemia-Major: An Egyptian Center Experience

Table 2

Serum level of vitamins and trace elements in thalassemic patients.

Parameter	Cases	Control	𝑡	𝑃
Retinol (ug/dL)			14.1	<0.001*
Mean ± SD	17.6±7.6	42.8±7.8
Range	2–32	35–56
Ascorbic acid (mg/dL)			13.9	<0.001*
Mean ± SD	0.256±0.09	1.04±0.4
Range	0.11–0.47	0.61–1.74
Alpha-Tocopherol (mg/dL)			16.56	<0.001*
Mean ± SD	0.498±0.6	10.6±4.5
Range	0.025–2.16	5.7–19.9
Folic acid (ng/mL)			3.96	0.001*
Mean ± SD	30.3±12.3	17.7±2.4
Range	4–59	12–20.4
B12 (pg/mL)			26.85	<0.001*
Mean ± SD	33.3±40.7	332.7±136.4
Range (median)	8–170 (21)	160–510 (300)
Zinc (ug/dL)			31.6	<0.001*
Mean ± SD	17.8±13	103.6±10.8
Range	0.1–60.1	60–128
Copper (ug/dL)			24.8	<0.001*
Mean ± SD	12.2±17	90.5±25
Range (median)	0.1–93 (5)	59–120 (95)
Selenium (ug/L)			9.612	<0.001*
Mean ± SD	31.5±19.1	65.9±6.3
Range	2.4–68.2	56–74

∗Significant statistically.