Effect of renutrition on natural and cell-mediated immune response in infants with severe malnutrition.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a 4-week nutritional recovery period with a starting infant formula and 3.35 kJ/mL energy density would favorably affect the natural and cell-mediated immune response in infants with severe and primary protein-energy malnutrition.


METHODS
The study included 12 severely malnourished infants, 3 to 18 months of age. For 2 weeks, infants were fed a starting infant formula, with energy density increased to 0.8 kcal/mL, through a nasogastric tube. Infants were fed "ad libitum" for 2 more weeks. On the fifth day, 837 kJ/kg and 4 g/kg protein were given daily. At the beginning and at the end of the 4-week period, weight, length, phagocytosis, microbicidal activity, chemotaxis, and cell proliferation indices were measured. Null hypothesis was rejected with a paired t test and a P value less than 0.05.


RESULTS
After the 4-week period of nutritional recovery, the weight and length indicators and the four immunologic assays showed significant increase (P < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrated that a 4-week nutritional recovery period with a starting infant formula and 0.8 kcal/mL energy density favorably affected the natural and cell-mediated immune response in infants with severe protein-energy malnutrition.
Vásquez-Garibay
Edgar
E
Instituto de Nutrición Humana, Crecimiento y Desarrollo Infantil, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. inhu@cucs.udg.mx
Campollo-Rivas
Octavio
O
Romero-Velarde
Enrique
E
Méndez-Estrada
Concepción
C
García-Iglesias
Trinidad
T
Alvizo-Mora
José Guadalupe
JG
Vizmanos-Lamotte
Barbara
B
D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000276:immunology; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000276:immunology*; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*