American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 21, 723-732, Copyright © 1968 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Plasma Amino Acid Pattern in Kwashiorkor and Marasmus

¹ From Nutrition Research Laboratories, Indian Council of Medical Research, Tarnaka, Hyderabad-7, India

The plasma amino acid patterns of children with kwashiorkor or marasmus and undernourished children were studied using unidimensional paper chromatography.

The amino nitrogen in the plasma of kwashiorkor children was found to be low and increased significantly after treatment. In marasmums the levels were higher than in kwashiorkor and did not change significantly after treatment.

The proportion of plasma essential amino acids was low in kwashiorkor and there was no increase after treatment. In marasmus, there was a consistent increase in the proportion of the essential amino acids on treatment.

In kwashiorkor, the ratio of nonessential amino acids to essential amino acids calculated as suggested by Whitehead and Dean showed wide variation and did not correlate with the severity of the disease. The effect of treatment on this ratio was not consistent. In marasmic and undernourished children this ratio was not elevated very much.

One of the salient features in the plasma amino acid pattern in kwashiorkor was the lower proportion of alanine and the higher proportion of glutamine plus asparagine at the height of the disease, and this picture was reversed on treatment. This was particularly so in kwashiorkor without frank signs of vitamin deficiencies. ln contrast, in marasmus, the proportion of alanine was high to start with and showed a decrease on treatment.