title: Polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocyte and plasma lipids of children with severe protein-energy malnutrition.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Children's Hospital, Division of Tropical Pediatrics, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leichsenring
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sütterlin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Less
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bäumann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anninos
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007732:Kwashiorkor / Q000097:blood*; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid; C026219:docosapentaenoic acid