title: Deuterium dilution technique for body composition assessment: resolving methodological issues in children with moderate acute malnutrition.
abstract: Childhood malnutrition is highly prevalent and associated with high mortality risk. In observational and interventional studies among malnourished children, body composition is increasingly recognised as a key outcome. The deuterium dilution technique has generated high-quality data on body composition in studies of infants and young children in several settings, but its feasibility and accuracy in children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition requires further study. Prior to a large nutritional intervention trial among children with moderate acute malnutrition, we conducted pilot work to develop and adapt the deuterium dilution technique. We refined procedures for administration of isotope doses and collection of saliva. Furthermore, we established that equilibration time in local context is 3 h. These findings and the resulting standard operating procedures are important to improve data quality when using the deuterium dilution technique in malnutrition studies in field conditions, and may encourage a wider use of isotope techniques.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports , University of Copenhagen , Frederiksberg C , Denmark.|b Médecins Sans Frontières - Denmark , Copenhagen , Denmark.|c Alliance for International Medical Action , Dakar , Sénégal.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabiansen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports , University of Copenhagen , Frederiksberg C , Denmark.|d Département Biomédical et Santé Publique , Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé , Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yaméogo
authors.affiliation: e Division of Nutrition , St John's Research Institute , Bangalore , India.
authors.forename: Sarita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Devi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports , University of Copenhagen , Frederiksberg C , Denmark.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friis
authors.affiliation: e Division of Nutrition , St John's Research Institute , Bangalore , India.
authors.forename: Anura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurpad
authors.affiliation: f Childhood Nutrition Research Centre , UCL Institute of Child Health , London , UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism*; D017666:Deuterium Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011865:Radioisotope Dilution Technique; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D017666:Deuterium Oxide
keywords: Body composition; children; deuterium dilution; equilibration time; malnutrition; saliva sampling; tracer technique