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Plasma free iron: a possible cause of oedema in kwashiorkor

A A Sive1, W S Dempster, H Malan

  • 1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|January 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Free iron in the blood may cause kwashiorkor edema. Measuring bleomycin detectable iron (BDI) and reducing it could improve patient outcomes and survival rates.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Biochemistry
  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Clinical Pathology

Background:

  • Edema is a key diagnostic sign of kwashiorkor, but its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.
  • The role of iron in the pathogenesis of kwashiorkor edema requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between plasma 'free' iron levels and the severity of edema in children with kwashiorkor.
  • To assess the correlation between bleomycin detectable iron (BDI) and plasma albumin concentration in these patients.

Main Methods:

  • Study conducted at a university teaching hospital.
  • Included fifteen pediatric patients diagnosed with kwashiorkor, categorized by edema severity (9 severe, 6 moderate).
  • Plasma 'free' iron was quantified using bleomycin detectable iron (BDI) assay.

Main Results:

  • Patients with severe edema exhibited significantly higher BDI levels compared to those with moderate edema (20.5 vs. 6.75 mumol/l).
  • Plasma albumin concentrations were comparable between the severe and moderate edema groups.
  • BDI was undetectable in all patients within 30 days of admission.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated levels of circulating 'free' iron may play a role in the development of edema in kwashiorkor.
  • Sequestration of 'free' iron could potentially accelerate recovery and reduce mortality and morbidity in kwashiorkor patients.
Abstract

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