American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 12, 437-444, Copyright © 1963 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Zinc and Iron Deficiencies in Male Subjects with Dwarfism and Hypogonadism but Without Ancylostomiasis, Schistosomiasis or Severe Anemia

¹ From the Departments of Medicine amid Biochemistry and Division of Nutrition, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, and the Medical Department, U. S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Cairo, Egypt, U.A.R.

Patients with iron and zinc deficiencies, mild anemia, hypogonadism and dwarfism were studied in the Kharga oasis area. These patients had no schistosomiasis or hookworm infection.

In Egypt and China, dwarfism and hypogonadism have been attributed to liver dysfunction due to schistosomiasis, however the existence of such patients in Kharga and in Iran where schistosomiasis and liver dysfunction were absent, clearly indicates that these factors per se are not responsible for these clinical findings.

Severe anemia and iron deficiency do not seem to be necessary factors for the production of hypogonadism and growth retardation in these subjects. The clinical and biochemical findings in the patients from Kharga are compatible with the concept that zinc deficiency may have been responsible for the hypogonadism and dwarfism.

Hepatosplenomegaly was an uncommon feature in this group of patients in contrast to the patients studied in Iran and in the delta region of Egypt, who were severely anemic. Anemia itself was probably responsible for hepatosplenomegaly accompanying this syndrome in other regions.

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