RESUMO
The clays consumed by geophagous individuals contain large quantities of aluminum, a known neurological and hematological toxin. This is the first study to evaluate the risk of aluminum poisoning in geophagous individuals. Blind determinations of plasma and urinary aluminum concentrations were carried out in 98 anemic geophagous pregnant women and 85 non-anemic non-geophagous pregnant women. Aluminum concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.0001) in the geophagous anemic women than in the controls, with odds ratios of 6.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.72-19.31) for plasma concentrations (13.92 ± 14.09 µg/L versus 4.95 ± 7.11 µg/L) and 5.44 (95% CI = 2.17-14.8) for urinary concentrations (92.83 ± 251.21 µg/L versus 12.11 ± 23 µg/L). The ingested clay is the most likely source of this overexposure to aluminum. If confirmed, the clinical consequences of this absorption for pregnant women and their offspring should be explored.
Assuntos
Silicatos de Alumínio/toxicidade , Alumínio/intoxicação , Anemia/etiologia , Pica/complicações , Complicações na Gravidez , Adulto , Alumínio/sangue , Alumínio/urina , Silicatos de Alumínio/química , Anemia/sangue , Anemia/urina , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Argila , Feminino , Guiana Francesa , Humanos , Pica/sangue , Pica/urina , Gravidez , Complicações na Gravidez/sangue , Complicações na Gravidez/etiologia , Complicações na Gravidez/urina , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Urinary erythropoietin was determined sequentially in four premature infants throughout their period of physiologic anemia. After the first day of life, no erythropoietin was found, even though there was a marked fall in hematocrit. Among seven premature infants with severe respiratory disease, three excreted elevated amounts of erythropoietin. Premature infants appear able to respond to hypoxia by increasing erythropoietin production. In the absence of hypoxia, however, diminution of erythropoiesis in the early weeks of life is not accompanied by elevated excretion of erythropoietin.