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Polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocyte and plasma lipids of children with severe protein–energy malnutrition
Author(s) -
Leichsenring M,
Siitterlin N,
Less S,
Bäumann K,
Anninos A,
Becker K
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1995.tb13685.x
Subject(s) - kwashiorkor , phosphatidylethanolamine , polyunsaturated fatty acid , marasmus , medicine , protein–energy malnutrition , phosphatidylcholine , linoleic acid , biochemistry , cholesterol , docosahexaenoic acid , fatty acid , malnutrition , endocrinology , phospholipid , biology , membrane
The fatty acid composition of plasma cholesterol esters, plasma phospholipids, erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine and erythrocyte phosphatidylethanolamine was investigated in severely malnourished Nigerian children with kwashiorkor (n = 12) and marasmus (n = 32). Normally nourished children from the same area (n = 23) served as controls. The malnourished children showed a significant reduction of highly polyunsaturated fatty acids in cholesterol esters, phospholipids and phosphatidylcholine. No differences between the groups were found in erythrocyte phosphatidylethanolamine. Children with kwashiorkor had lower levels of linoleic acid metabolites and docosahexaenoic acid than marasmic children. The results suggest that the kwashiorkor syndrome is associated with impaired desaturation and elongation of PUFA and/or increased lipid peroxidation.