Studies of Endocrine Function in Boys with Retarded Growth, Delayed Sexual Maturation and Zinc Deficiency¹²

Zinc Levels of Plasma, Erythrocyte, Hair and Urine in Homozygote Beta-Thalassemia

“…Besides, there was retardation of growth in all but 4 of our patients and significant hy pogenitalism in addition to delayed puberty in 2 cases. These clinical signs are similar to the clinical findings in primary zinc defi ciency syndrome [15][16][17][18][19][20], thereby support ing our laboratory data.…”

Zinc Deficiency: Improvement in Growth and Growth Hormone Levels with Oral Zinc Therapy

“…Coble et al [11] reported reduced growth hormone responses to insulin-induced hypo glycemia in 14 of 18 zinc-deficient, growthretarded boys, and a normal response in the other 4 boys. Low serum growth hormone and impaired response to standard stimuli have been found by others in zinc deficiency [12,13], Some children with constitutional growth delay have also been reported to have low serum growth hormone levels [14] and we have reported reduced hair and serum zinc in children with constitutional growth delay [8], Administration of growth hormone to 30 children with growth hormone defi ciency has been found to significantly in crease hair zinc concentration and reduce uri nary zinc excretion [ 15], Therefore, there are some children with growth hormone defi ciency who are also zinc-deficient, and some children with zinc deficiency who are also growth hormone-deficient.…”

The effect of growth hormone treatment on growth in zinc deficient rats

“…It is unlikely that zinc deficiency was the only contributing factor. Coble et al (1971) studied endocrine function in boys from the Nile Valley with retarded growth and delayed sexual maturation and concluded that it was not possible to attribute the deIayed development of the boys solely to zinc deficiency. other conditions associated with growth retardation and delayed puberty were also present in the regiona population of low socioeconomic status, poor hygiene, high incidence of infectious disease, poor protein and calorie nutrition, and other mineraI deficiencies.…”