title: The transformation in vitro of peripheral lymphocytes of malnourished children.
abstract: Children with protein energy malnutrition showed high deranged cellular immunity as evidenced by impairment of lymphocyte transformation after stimulation by phytohaemagglutination (PHA). The proliferative response (PR) to PHA measured by estimating incorporation of tritiated thymidine into newly synthesized DNA. In-vitro proliferative response to PHA was used as a marker for studying the functional characteristics of T lymphocytes of children with different categories of malnutrition. PHA response of peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from different categories of severely malnourished children were significantly low compared to healthy control children (P < 0.01). The results indicate that cell mediated immunity was grossly depressed in severe malnutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Sir Salimullah Medical College.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Miah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Begum
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000276:immunology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000276:immunology*