title: The assessment between IL-6 and IL-8 and anthropometric status in malnourished children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the correlations between the pro-inflammatory interleukins IL-6 and IL-8 and the anthropometric measurements in malnourished vs. non-malnourished children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have examined 219 children from Pediatric Clinic I, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tirgu Mures, Romania, during January 1, 2012-March 1, 2013 and divided according to Body Mass Index (BMI kg/m(2)) in the following two groups: 164 with normal nutritional status - control group (BMI between -2SD and +2SD), and 55 children with malnutrition (BMI <-2SD). All the children were evaluated anthropometric: BMI, weight for age (W/A), height for age (H/A), mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC), tricipital skinfold (TSF) and paraclinical: IL-6 and IL-8 levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 219 children, 25.1% were malnourished. The mean age was 5.16 years in malnourished. IL-6 and IL-8 mean levels were 2.54 pg/mL, respectively 6.83 pg/mL in malnourished and 6.02 pg/mL, respectively 9.06 pg/mL in non-malnourished. By statistically comparing IL-6 in malnourished group vs. control group, we observed decreased values (p<0.0001) and also significantly lower values for IL-8. We also obtained statistical differences between the two groups in BMI, W/A, MUAC and TSF. The BMI SD have an increasing trend line, from -4SD in newborn malnourished to -2SD in near 18-year-old malnourished; the trend line had only a slight ascension in non-malnourished children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The interleukin levels and BMI, W/A, MUAC and TSF are significantly lower in malnourished children than in non-malnourished. This functional impairment may be involved in the malnutrition to develop a specific immune response in these children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tirgu Mures, Romania; adrian.man@umftgm.ro.
authors.forename: Cristina Oana
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Mărginean
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pitea
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Mărginean
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Cotoi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D057230:Limit of Detection
chemical_list: C508606:CXCL8 protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8