Abstract
In this study plasma free carnitine and albumin levels were measured in children with protein energy malnutrition (PEM). A total of 71 children with malnutrition were studied. The control group consisted of 20 healthy children.
Mean plasma carnitin leve1 was 78.4±1.94 nmol/ml in the control group. Marasmus and kwashiorkor patients displayed lower plasma free carnitine values which were found statistically significant when compared to those of the control ( P < 0.001 ). However those values were significantly lower in kwashiorkor patients than those in marasmic cases (29.7 > 5.46). These was no correlation between serum albumin and free carnitine levels in cases with kwashiorkor.
The reason why no correlat ion between serum a 1bumin and free carnitine levels was observed in the cases investigated in this work has been attributed to varying dis f unc t ion of the control mechanism in cases with kwashiorkor.
We concluded that further inves tigations of carnitine concentration at tissue level are essential in PEM for a more effective manegement of carnitine deficiency by oral means.
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Tanzer, F., Uzunsel, S. & Atalay, A. 227 PLASMA FREE CARNITINE LEVELS IN CHILDREN WITH MALNUTRITION. Pediatr Res 36, 40 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00227
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199407000-00227