Lower serum levels of selenium, copper, and zinc are related to neuromotor impairments in children with konzo

G. M.M. Bumoko; N. H. Sadiki; A. Rwatambuga; K. P. Kayembe; D. L. Okitundu; D. Mumba Ngoyi; J. J.T. Muyembe; J. P. Banea; M. J. Boivin; D. Tshala-Katumbay

doi:10.1016/j.jns.2015.01.007

Lower serum levels of selenium, copper, and zinc are related to neuromotor impairments in children with konzo

G. M.M. Bumoko
, N. H. Sadiki
, A. Rwatambuga
, K. P. Kayembe
, D. L. Okitundu
, D. Mumba Ngoyi
, J. J.T. Muyembe
, J. P. Banea
, M. J. Boivin
, D. Tshala-Katumbay

Neurology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

We assessed the relationship between key trace elements and neurocognitive and motor impairments observed in konzo, a motor neuron disease associated with cassava cyanogenic exposure in nutritionally challenged African children. Serum concentrations of iron, copper, zinc, selenium, and neurotoxic lead, mercury, manganese, cadmium, and cobalt were measured in 123 konzo children (mean age 8.53 years) and 87 non-konzo children (mean age 9.07 years) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Concentrations of trace elements were compared and related to performance scores on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (KABC-II) for cognition and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test, 2nd edition (BOT-2) for motor proficiency. Children with konzo had low levels of selenium, copper, and zinc relative to controls. Selenium concentration significantly correlated with serum 8,12-iso-iPF_2α-VI isoprostane (Spearman r = 0.75, p < 0.01) and BOT-2 scores (r = 0.31, p = 0.00) in children with konzo. Elemental deficiency was not associated with poor cognition. Mean (SD) urinary level of thiocyanate was 388.03 (221.75) μmol/l in non-konzo compared to 518.59 (354.19) μmol/l in konzo children (p < 0.01). Motor deficits associated with konzo may possibly be driven by the combined effects of cyanide toxicity and Se deficiency on prooxidant mechanisms. Strategies to prevent konzo may include dietary supplementation with trace elements, preferentially, those with antioxidant and cyanide-scavenging properties.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	149-153
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of the neurological sciences
Volume	349
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2015.01.007
State	Published - Feb 15 2015

Funding

We would like to thank M. Duffy in the Elemental Analysis Core at OHSU for sample preparation, measurements, data analysis as well as for contributing to the method in this paper. We also thank the community of Kahemba as well as Dr. Jean-Jacques Kaniki, Dr. Sombo Marie-Therese, and Mr. Kambale Kikandau for their participation in the current research project. This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grant number NIEHS/FICR01ES019841 ) which had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, or decision to submit the present manuscript.

Funders	Funder number
Author National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health The Bev Hartig Huntington's Disease Foundation National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences	R01ES019841

Keywords

Copper
Cyanide
Konzo
Oxidative stress
Selenium
Zinc

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Neurology
Clinical Neurology

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10.1016/j.jns.2015.01.007

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Bumoko, G. M. M., Sadiki, N. H., Rwatambuga, A., Kayembe, K. P., Okitundu, D. L., Mumba Ngoyi, D., Muyembe, J. J. T., Banea, J. P., Boivin, M. J., & Tshala-Katumbay, D. (2015). Lower serum levels of selenium, copper, and zinc are related to neuromotor impairments in children with konzo. Journal of the neurological sciences, 349(1-2), 149-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2015.01.007

Bumoko, GMM, Sadiki, NH, Rwatambuga, A, Kayembe, KP, Okitundu, DL, Mumba Ngoyi, D, Muyembe, JJT, Banea, JP, Boivin, MJ & Tshala-Katumbay, D 2015, 'Lower serum levels of selenium, copper, and zinc are related to neuromotor impairments in children with konzo', Journal of the neurological sciences, vol. 349, no. 1-2, pp. 149-153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2015.01.007

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abstract = "We assessed the relationship between key trace elements and neurocognitive and motor impairments observed in konzo, a motor neuron disease associated with cassava cyanogenic exposure in nutritionally challenged African children. Serum concentrations of iron, copper, zinc, selenium, and neurotoxic lead, mercury, manganese, cadmium, and cobalt were measured in 123 konzo children (mean age 8.53 years) and 87 non-konzo children (mean age 9.07 years) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). Concentrations of trace elements were compared and related to performance scores on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (KABC-II) for cognition and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test, 2nd edition (BOT-2) for motor proficiency. Children with konzo had low levels of selenium, copper, and zinc relative to controls. Selenium concentration significantly correlated with serum 8,12-iso-iPF2α-VI isoprostane (Spearman r = 0.75, p < 0.01) and BOT-2 scores (r = 0.31, p = 0.00) in children with konzo. Elemental deficiency was not associated with poor cognition. Mean (SD) urinary level of thiocyanate was 388.03 (221.75) μmol/l in non-konzo compared to 518.59 (354.19) μmol/l in konzo children (p < 0.01). Motor deficits associated with konzo may possibly be driven by the combined effects of cyanide toxicity and Se deficiency on prooxidant mechanisms. Strategies to prevent konzo may include dietary supplementation with trace elements, preferentially, those with antioxidant and cyanide-scavenging properties.",

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AU - Bumoko, G. M.M.

AU - Sadiki, N. H.

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AU - Kayembe, K. P.

AU - Okitundu, D. L.

AU - Mumba Ngoyi, D.

AU - Muyembe, J. J.T.

AU - Banea, J. P.

AU - Boivin, M. J.

AU - Tshala-Katumbay, D.

PY - 2015/2/15

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Lower serum levels of selenium, copper, and zinc are related to neuromotor impairments in children with konzo

Abstract

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Keywords

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