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American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 71, No. 4, 978-986, April 2000
© 2000 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

Original Research Communications

Concentrations of riboflavin and related organic acids in children with protein-energy malnutrition1,2,3,4

Callinice D Capo-chichi, François Feillet, Jean-Louis Guéant, Kou'Santa Amouzou, Noël Zonon, Ambaliou Sanni, Emmanuelle Lefebvre, Kossi Assimadi and Michel Vidailhet

1 From the Laboratoire de Pathologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire en Nutrition and Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital d'Enfants, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, Faculté de Médecine de Nancy, Nancy, France; Laboratoire de Biochimie et de Nutrition Appliquée, Université du Bénin, Lomé, Togo; Centre Pédiatrique, Abomey, République du Bénin; Département de Biochimie et de Biologie Cellulaire, Université Nationale du Bénin, Cotonou, République du Bénin; and the Service de Pédiatrie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Tokoin, Lomé, Togo.

Background: Riboflavin, flavin mononucleotide (FMN), and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) concentrations have been little studied in cases of malnutrition.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the effects of malnutrition on riboflavin status and riboflavin's relation with thyroid hormones and concentrations of urinary organic acids.

Design: Malnourished children from the savannah in Benin (group S, n = 30) and the coast in Togo (group C, n = 30), as well as 24 control subjects from both regions, were studied. Blood riboflavin, FMN, and FAD were analyzed by HPLC; urinary organic acids were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.

Results: Children in group S were more severely malnourished than children in group C. Triiodothyronine concentrations were lower in group S than in group C or the control group (1.12 ± 0.24 compared with 1.74 ± 0.18 and 2.92 ± 0.19 nmol/L, respectively; P < 0.0001). Plasma riboflavin concentrations in group S were higher than those in group C or the control group (66.90 ± 12.75 compared with 28.09 ± 9.12 and 20.08 ± 3.03 nmol/L, respectively; P < 0.001). Plasma FAD concentrations in group S were lower than those in group C or the control group (31.57 ± 10.19 compared with 59.02 ± 5.60 and 65.35 ± 5.23 nmol/L, respectively; P < 0.0001). Dicarboxylic aciduria was higher in group C than in group S or the control subjects.

Conclusions: Children in group S had low triiodothyronine concentrations and low conversion of plasma riboflavin into its cofactors, leading to a plasma FAD deficiency. Plasma FAD was not correlated with urinary dicarboxylic acid concentrations.

Key Words: Malnutrition • thyroid hormones • riboflavin • dicarboxylic acids • Benin • Togo • FAD • flavin adenine dinucleotide • FMN • flavin mononucleotide • organic aciduria • children






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