Cemeroglu A P, Kocabaş C N, Coşkun T, Gürgey A
Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey.
Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2001 Dec;18(8):491-5. doi: 10.1080/088800101753328457.
Carnitine is not only obtained from animal-derived foods but also synthesized in the body. It plays an important role in the energy metabolism of many tissues, including heart and skeletal muscles. Iron is known to be essential for the biosynthesis of carnitine. Although many conditions are well known to cause secondary carnitine deficiency, iron deficiency, which is a very common condition in children, is not well studied as a cause of secondary carnitine deficiency in humans. This study demonstrates the coexistence of iron deficiency and low carnitine levels in otherwise healthy children. The mean carnitine concentration of 18 otherwise healthy children with iron deficiency anemia was significantly lower compared to the mean carnitine concentration of healthy children without iron deficiency anemia. Based on the evidence about the effect of low iron on carnitine stores in experimental animals, we proposed that low serum carnitine levels in these children may be secondary to iron deficiency. However, further studies need to be done to further clarify this relationship.
肉碱不仅可以从动物源性食物中获取，也可在体内合成。它在包括心脏和骨骼肌在内的许多组织的能量代谢中发挥重要作用。已知铁对于肉碱的生物合成至关重要。虽然许多情况会导致继发性肉碱缺乏已广为人知，但缺铁作为儿童中非常常见的一种情况，尚未作为人类继发性肉碱缺乏的一个原因得到充分研究。本研究证明了在其他方面健康的儿童中缺铁与低肉碱水平并存。18名患有缺铁性贫血的其他方面健康的儿童的平均肉碱浓度与无缺铁性贫血的健康儿童的平均肉碱浓度相比显著更低。基于关于低铁对实验动物肉碱储备影响的证据，我们提出这些儿童血清肉碱水平低可能继发于缺铁。然而，需要进一步开展研究以进一步阐明这种关系。
