title: Plasma and muscle carnitine in healthy and hemodialyzed children.
abstract: Total carnitine and its subfractions (free carnitine, short-chain and long-chain acylcarnitine) have been measured in plasma and muscle of healthy children of both sexes aged 0.1-18 years using a modified radiochemical-enzymatic assay. Up to the age of 9 years, no differences were apparent between boys and girls while in the range of 10-18 years the boys revealed increased and girls similar concentrations of free and total plasma carnitine compared to the younger children. Plasma concentrations of total and free carnitine revealed weak, but significant correlations with age in boys and girls, while muscle concentrations of total carnitine and its subfractions were not age dependent. No correlations were apparent between any of the plasma and muscle carnitine fractions. Plasma carnitine concentrations measured in hemodialyzed children showed a disturbed pattern of the fractions, whereas muscle concentrations were apparently normal in these patients. The present study provides reference values of free carnitine and the acylcarnitines in plasma and muscle of healthy children and emphasizes the necessity to use appropriate reference values for assessing carnitine metabolism in pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, FRG.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Glöggler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bulla
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puchstein
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gulotta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fürst
mesh_terms: D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine