Abstract

Plasma albumin, selenium, chromium and manganese levels of thirty patients each with HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and one hundred and six apparently healthy adults in Akwa-Ibom and Cross River States, South-South Nigeria was studied. The mean plasma albumin was higher in the control than in the disease patients. The mean plasma selenium was lowest in the control (0.004 ± 0.01 mg/L) than in the HIV/AIDS (0.007 ± 0.00 mg/L), diabetes mellitus (0.007 ± 0.00 mg/L) and CVD (0.010 ± 0.00 mg/L) patients. The mean plasma chromium was highest in the HIV/AIDS patients (0.125 ± 0.45 mg/L) and lowest in the diabetes mellitus patients (0.106 ± 0.04 mg/L). Plasma manganese level was highest in the control (0.028 ± 0.02 mg/L). Manganese was detected in the plasma of all the diseased patients. For the total healthy subjects, only 55.67, 68.87 and 83.93% had selenium, chromium and manganese detected in their blood plasma. There was no significant correlation between plasma levels of albumin, selenium, chromium and manganese (P > 0.05) in the control. The poor nutritional status of the disease patients was reflected by the depressed albumin levels.

Key words: Health, disease, trace elements, plasma levels.