Objective. Increasing prevalence of asthma has been attributed to changes in lifestyle and environmental exposures. We conducted a case-control study to investigate the relationship between serum micronutrients and asthma in rural school children in Nigeria. Methods. We administered questionnaires to 1,562 children to identify children with asthma. Serum concentration levels of 12 micronutrients were determined in asthma cases ( ) and controls ( ). Allergy skin prick test and spirometry were also performed. Results. Plasma levels of the following micronutrients were significantly different between cases and controls: calcium ( versus ？mg/dL; ), manganese ( versus ？mg/L; ), selenium ( versus ？μg/L; ), and albumin ( versus ？g/dL; ). Plasma concentrations of iron and selenium were positively correlated with lung function, ( in each case) while manganese serum concentration was negatively correlated with asthma ( ; ). Conclusions. Children with asthma had reduced levels of plasma manganese, calcium, and albumin but raised level of selenium. The protective or risk effects of these micronutrients on asthma warrant further investigation. 1. Introduction In most developing countries, including Nigeria, asthma has become one of the most common chronic diseases among children. It is a major cause of emergency hospital visits and school absenteeism among children younger than 15？years of age in most developed countries [1, 2]. However, hospital visitations among children with asthma in Nigeria, especially in rural areas, remain very low due to limited access to healthcare services and increased focused efforts on diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, and malaria [3]. While asthma may be previously reported to be uncommon in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa [4, 5], recent studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of asthma and other respiratory diseases among school-aged children and adolescents in Nigeria [6–8]. Some population-based studies have attributed this increase to changes in lifestyles and nutrition, suggesting a likelihood of higher prevalence of asthma in countries where there is a shift from traditional to westernized lifestyles [9, 10]. Recent clinical observations and epidemiological studies have identified associations between nutritional elements (e.g., magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc, selenium, and vitamin D) and asthma prevalence [9, 11, 12]. It is thought that micronutrients influence the immune system and may play a major role in the development of asthma and in the progression of other allergic diseases [9, 13–15]. However, only few of
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