Background: Selenium (Se) is a trace element important for health. Its defciency has adverse effects on reproduction, immunocompetence and cardiovascular status. There is growing evidence that higher Se intakes are associated with reduced cancer risk. To date, there have been no studies conducted on the Se status of Mongolian children. Materials and Methods Non-fasting morning blood samples were collected from 240 children (122 male and 118 female) 6-36 months of age from the capital city of Mongolia and four provinces located in the south, north, east and west of the country. Inclusion criteria were apparently healthy children with no evidence of infection within the previous 7 days. The serum concentrations of Se were determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Results: The mean serum Se concentration was 0.79 µmol/L. The indicator was higher for children in the rural provinces compared to those who lived in the capital city (0.81 µmol/L vs. 0.76 µmol/L, p=0.029). There was no statistically signifcant difference in the levels of Se detected between boys and girls (0.79 µmol/Lvs. 0.78 µmol/L, p=0.551). The serum concentration of Se increased with age (0.73µmol/L in the 6-11.9 months age group, 0.79 µmol/L in children aged 12-23.9 months and 0.82 µmol/L in 24-36-month-old participants). The prevalence of low serum Se in the surveyed population (<0.82 μmol/L) was 55.8%. The Se defciency tends to decrease with age (63.8% in the 6-11.9 months age group, 57.6% in participants 12-23.9 months of age and 48.2% in the oldest group). The prevalence of Se defciency is lower among children living in the western regions (38.3%) than among those from other areas of the country (60.4%). Conclusion: The high prevalence of Se defciency among Mongolian children shows that a wider survey that looks at the relationship between the blood Se and its concentrations in food and soil is needed.

Background: The prevalence of rickets is high among Mongolian children. The disease can be prevented by sufficient intake of vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, and is also produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of vitamin D status. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of 25(OH)D in serum samples of small children and evaluate their vitamin D status. Materials and Methods: The concentrations of 25(OH)D were determined in serum samples of 98 children (54 male and 44 female) 6-36 months of age using a 2-step radioimmuno assay procedure. Vitamin D defciency was defned as 25(OH)D < 25nmol/L. Results: The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 29.00 nmol/L with no statistically signifcant differences between boys and girls, age groups and children from rural and urban areas. The vitamin D defciency among the surveyed children was 61.2%. The defciency was higher among children from Ulaanbaatar city (65.7% vs 51.9% in rural areas) and in boys (66.7% vs 55.8% in girls). Conclusion: The high level of vitamin D deficiency indicates that there is a need to promote the expansion of the coverage of vitamin D supplements among young children.

Background: It was first proposed by Harris that the constant elevated excretion of beta-aminoisobutyric acid (β-AIB) by some healthy individuals, so called high excretors, is determined by an autosomal recessive gene. Several studies of the variability of β-AIB excretion have been conducted, but they failed to show that the distribution of the variation in β-AIB excretion was bimodal. Most of these studies have been carried out on Caucasoid populations which are not suitable material for proving the bimodality since they have a very low proportion of high excretors of β-AIB. A genetically conditioned high excretion of β-AIB has been detected in 2-8% of Caucasoids and in 35-65% of healthy adults of Mongoloid descent. Materials and method: The study of the distribution of the β-AIB concentration involved 319 unrelated subjects (166 adults and 153 children), and the testing of the hypothesis of autosomal recessive inheritance included the data on 15 complete families. The urinary level of β-AIB was determined using a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: The distribution of urinary concentrations of β-AIB of the surveyed show the bimodality with the antimode at 4.5 (=ln 90.02 mmol of β-AIB/mol creatinine) for adults and at 5,5 (=ln 244,69 mmol/mol creat.) for children. The frequency of high-excretors among adults was 0.706 and that among children was 0.716. The testing of the hypothesis of autosomal recessive inheritance of the elevated excretion of β-AIB showed an absence of a significant difference between observed and theoretical numbers. Conclusions
1. Bimodal distribution of urinary β-AIB concentration was demonstrated in the Mongolian population, with the frequency of high excretors being 0.706 and the gene frequency being 0.84.
2. Results of the family study were consistent with the hypothesis of autosomal recessive inheritance, high excretors being homozygous for the recessive allele.

Background:Selenium (Se) is a trace element important for health. Its defciency has adverse effects on reproduction, immunocompetence and cardiovascular status. There is growing evidence that higher Se intakes are associated with reduced cancer risk. To date, there have been no studies conducted on the Se status of Mongolian children. Materials and Methods Non-fasting morning blood samples were collected from 240 children (122 male and 118 female) 6-36 months of age from the capital city of Mongolia and four provinces located in the south, north, east and west of the country. Inclusion criteria were apparently healthy children with no evidence of infection within the previous 7 days. The serum concentrations of Se were determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.Results:The mean serum Se concentration was 0.79 µmol/L. The indicator was higher for children in the rural provinces compared to those who lived in the capital city (0.81 µmol/L vs. 0.76 µmol/L, p=0.029). There was no statistically signifcant difference in the levels of Se detected between boys and girls (0.79 µmol/Lvs. 0.78 µmol/L, p=0.551). The serum concentration of Se increased with age (0.73µmol/L in the 6-11.9 months age group, 0.79 µmol/L in children aged 12-23.9 months and 0.82 µmol/L in 24-36-month-old participants). The prevalence of low serum Se in the surveyed population (<0.82 μmol/L) was 55.8%. The Se defciency tends to decrease with age (63.8% in the 6-11.9 months age group, 57.6% in participants 12-23.9 months of age and 48.2% in the oldest group). The prevalence of Se defciency is lower among children living in the western regions (38.3%) than among those from other areas of the country (60.4%).Conclusion:The high prevalence of Se defciency among Mongolian children shows that a wider survey that looks at the relationship between the blood Se and its concentrations in food and soil is needed.