title: The effect of malnutrition on protein glycosylation in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of protein energy malnutrition on protein glycosylation by investigating transferrin isoform pattern and its relationship to the degree of malnutrition and the biochemical markers of nutritional status in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty one children with mild (n=23) and severely/moderately (n=18) acute malnutrition and 29 controls were enrolled in the study. Serum transferrin isoforms were determined by isoelectric focusing electrophoresis. Transferrin, prealbumin, zinc, iron and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were measured using automated analyzers. Findings : Asialotransferrin and disialotransferrin were significantly higher in severely/moderately malnourished patients compared to controls (P=0.04 and P=0.04, respectively). Other transferrin isoform patterns were not different among three groups. Serum IGF-1, transferrin and iron levels of severely/ moderately malnourished group were significantly lower than tose of controls (P=0.001, 0.02 and 0.03, respectively). Serum prealbumin and zinc levels were similar in all three groups. Serum IGF-1, transferrin and iron levels, and all transferrin isoform patterns were not significantly different in mildly malnutrition group from other two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The changes in transferrin isoform pattern observed in malnourished patients may indicate that malnutrition is a catabolic state which has effects on glycosylation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry.
authors.forename: Oznur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bilen
authors.affiliation: Oncology Institute.
authors.forename: Zekiye
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Altun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and ; Molecular Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry.
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Onvural
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry.
authors.forename: Pinar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Akan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry.
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coker
keywords: Glycosylation; Isoelectric Focusing; Protein Energy Malnutrition; Transferrin; Isoform