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Alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein levels in children with protein-energy malnutrition and infections
1Department of Child Health, College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Nigeria.
Insights
Serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein levels are lower in malnourished children, especially those with kwashiorkor. Infection further decreases these levels in well-nourished and kwashiorkor children, but not in marasmus.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
- Immunology
Background:
- Severe malnutrition, including kwashiorkor and marasmus, significantly impacts protein metabolism and immune function in children.
- Alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) is a key plasma protein involved in various physiological processes, and its levels can be altered in disease states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein levels in severely malnourished children with and without infection.
- To compare these levels with those in well-nourished children, both infected and uninfected.
Main Methods:
- Single-radial immunodiffusion method was employed to quantify serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein.
- Study included 39 severely malnourished children (22 kwashiorkor, 17 marasmus) and 32 well-nourished controls.
- Participants were categorized based on the presence or absence of infection.
Main Results:
- Uninfected malnourished children (kwashiorkor and marasmus) exhibited significantly lower serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein levels than uninfected controls.
- Infection led to a significant decrease in serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein in well-nourished and kwashiorkor children, but not in marasmic children.
- Infected controls had higher levels than infected kwashiorkor children, but comparable levels to infected marasmic children.
Conclusions:
- Serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein levels are reduced in severe childhood malnutrition, with kwashiorkor showing lower levels than marasmus.
- Infection exacerbates the decrease in alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein in kwashiorkor but not marasmus.
- AHSG may serve as a potential biomarker for assessing the severity of malnutrition and the impact of infection.
Abstract:
Serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein levels were studied, using the single-radial immunodiffusion method, in 39 severely malnourished children (22 kwashiorkor, 17 marasmus) of whom 15 (8 kwashiorkor, 7 marasmus) were infected and 24 (14 kwashiorkor, 10 marasmus) had no signs of infection. Thirty-two well-nourished children, 16 of whom were infected, served as controls. The uninfected controls had higher serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein levels than the uninfected kwashiorkor (82.0 +/- 14.7; 57.0 +/- 15.8; p less than 0.001) and marasmic children (82.0 +/- 14.7; 45.0 +/- 13.9; p less than 0.001). Infection was associated with a significant decrease in the mean serum alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein levels in the well-nourished (82.0 +/- 14.7; 57.0 +/- 7.7; p less than 0.001) and kwashiorkor (57.0 +/- 15.8; 34.0 +/- 20.4; p less than 0.02) children, while no such decrease was observed in the marasmic children. While the mean serum glycoprotein level in the infected controls was higher than that in the infected kwashiorkor children (57.0 +/- 7.7; 34.0 +/- 20.4; p less than 0.02), it was comparable to that in the infected marasmic children (57.0 +/- 7.7; 50.0 +/- 11.6; p greater than 0.05). Furthermore, the mean alpha 2 HS-glycoprotein level in the infected malnourished children was higher in marasmus than in kwashiorkor (50.0 +/- 11.6; 34.0 +/- 20.4; p greater than 0.05); this difference was, however, not statistically significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
