Oral Glutamine Supplementation Decreases Resting Energy Expenditure in Children and Adolescents With Sickle Cell Anemia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of orally administered glutamine on the resting energy expenditure (REE) and nutritional status of children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia.


METHODS
Twenty-seven children and adolescents (13 boys, 14 girls), 5.2 to 17.9 years old (median 11.0 years), received orally administered glutamine (600 mg/kg per day) for 24 weeks. Measures of REE and other nutritional parameters were compared at baseline and 24 weeks.


RESULTS
After 24 weeks, the patients' median REE (kcal/d) decreased by 6% (P = 0.053) as indicated by the Harris Benedict equations and by 5% (P = 0.049) as indicated by the modified equations. Patients with less than 90% ideal body weight had even greater declines in REE after 24 weeks (P < 0.03 and 0.02, respectively). Improvements in nutrition parameters and in two amino acids in the plasma were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
After 24 weeks of orally administered glutamine, children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia had a decrease in REE and improvement in nutritional parameters. Those who were underweight had a greater decrease in REE than those of normal body weight. Lowering REE may be an effective way to improve the growth of these children and adolescents.
From *Clinical Nutrition Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; †Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; ‡Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee; §Rehabilitation Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; ¶Pulmonary Physiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; ∥Department of Hematology-Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; and **Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.
Ruth
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Williams
Stacie
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Olivi
Chin-Shang
CS
Li
Michael
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Storm
Lola
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Cremer
Paul
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Mackert
Winfred
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Wang