OBJECTIVETo evaluate the iron utilization in children using single stable isotopes tracer.

METHODS57 children aged from 10 to 12 from a primary school of Beijing in 2010 were selected, 30 of them were boys and 27 were girls. All the subjects were given 5 ml artificial enriched ⁵⁷FeSO₄ twice per day within 5 days, and the total amount of ⁵⁷Fe was 30 mg. 5 ml blood were taken at 1 day before and 14 days after test, and all the feces during the test were collected. The samples were detected by AAS and MC-ICP-MS after pre-treatment to determine the content and abundances of iron in samples, then the iron utilization in whole blood were calculated.

RESULTSThe blood volume of male and female subjects 14 days after test were (3.19 ± 0.41) and (3.15 ± 0.29) ml respectively, and there was no significantly difference (t = 1.13, P > 0.05) between them; The amount of ⁵⁷Fe intake by male and female subjects were (27.46 ± 0.25) and (27.29 ± 0.15) mg (t = 1.13, P > 0.05); The amount of ⁵⁷Fe in blood were (5.92 ± 0.71) and (6.30 ± 0.65) mg respectively (t = 2.29, P < 0.05); The iron utilization in whole blood at 14 days of male and female subjects were (20.41 ± 2.03)% and (22.04 ± 0.80)% respectively, male subjects were significantly lower than females (t = 2.51, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSingle stable isotopes tracer can be used in iron utilization evaluation in children, and the iron utilization in whole blood of female children is higher than males.