Rao K N, Saha K, Chakrabarty A K
Hum Nutr Clin Nutr. 1987 Mar;41(2):127-34.
The present report is a continuation of our earlier studies on the complex interaction between undernutrition and leprosy. Serum levels of vitamins A and E, zinc and iron were determined in healthy control subjects and lepromatous leprosy patients belonging to an eastern state of India. Results indicated a significant lowering in the two above-mentioned fat-soluble vitamins and also a remarkable hypozincaemia in the patient group. However, serum iron levels were found to be comparable in both the groups. Also concentrations of vitamin A transport proteins such as retinol binding protein and prealbumin in sera of the lepromatous patients were significantly decreased in comparison with the control subjects. Of the two zinc-binding proteins, ie, serum albumin and alpha-2 macroglobulin, only the former was significantly reduced in the patient group. Surprisingly, though serum iron, transferrin and ferritin levels were similar in both the patient and control groups, the haemoglobin levels were significantly reduced in the lepromatous patients. The implications of these findings have been discussed. This is the first report describing the serum ferritin levels in lepromatous patients.
本报告是我们早期关于营养不良与麻风病之间复杂相互作用研究的延续。我们测定了印度东部某邦健康对照者和瘤型麻风病患者血清中维生素A、维生素E、锌和铁的水平。结果表明，上述两种脂溶性维生素在患者组中显著降低，且患者组存在明显的低锌血症。然而，两组的血清铁水平相当。此外，与对照者相比，瘤型麻风病患者血清中视黄醇结合蛋白和前白蛋白等维生素A转运蛋白的浓度显著降低。在两种锌结合蛋白，即血清白蛋白和α-2巨球蛋白中，只有前者在患者组中显著降低。令人惊讶的是，尽管患者组和对照组的血清铁、转铁蛋白和铁蛋白水平相似，但瘤型麻风病患者的血红蛋白水平显著降低。我们已对这些发现的意义进行了讨论。这是首篇描述瘤型麻风病患者血清铁蛋白水平的报告。
