title: Nutritional status and cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural Ecuadorian children.
abstract: The relationship between nutritional status and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) was evaluated in 230 children living in a rural subtropical rainforest in Northwest Ecuador. One-third of the subjects had evidence of either current (13 per cent) or past CL infection (21 per cent). Subjects with current (4.71 +/- 0.44 mg) or previous disease (4.29 +/- 0.35 mg) had lower mean daily dietary iron intakes than non-infected children (5.45 +/- 0.2 mg; chi 2 = 0.048), but not energy, protein, or other micronutrients. The low dietary iron intake data was corroborated by the reduced mean haemoglobin values observed in children with current (11.7 +/- 0.3 mg/dL) or past infection (11.3 +/- 0.2 mg/dL) compared to non-infected subjects (12.7 +/- 0.15 mg/dL; F-ratio = 17.0, P < 0.0001). Mean hematocrit values were also lower in the two infected groups (37.4 +/- 0.9 per cent and 37.4 +/- 0.6 per cent v. 39.5 +/- 0.5 per cent; F-ratio = 4.23, P = 0.0175). Furthermore, they were more likely to suffer from iron-deficiency anaemia than their non-infected counterparts (chi 2 = 4.64, P = 0.03). However, the children with active disease accounted for most of the excess risk for anemia (Fisher's exact test P = 0.009; OR = 10.0, exact 95 per cent CI = 1.37-111.8). Finally, growth stunting (< -2SD height-for-age) was more common in subjects with current (54 per cent) or past infection (51 per cent) compared to those without CL history (31 per cent; chi 2 = 8.03, P = 0.004).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Weigel
authors.forename: R X
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Armijos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zurita
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Racines
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mosquera
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population
chemical_list: D007501:Iron