Plasma Amino Acids in Children under Two Years of Age with Severe Undernutrition. Increase of Taurine in Kwashiorkor.

There are many reports documenting modifications of different plasma components in undenutrition, including the protein-calorie (marasmus) or the protein deficiency (kwashiorkor) subtypes. However, there is no detailed study on the effect of undernutrition on plasma amino acid pattern during the first two years of life, a critical period of biological development in humans. The plasma concentrations of 19 amino acids were analysed in 32 children under two years of age presenting severe undernutrition: marasmus, kwashiorkor or mixed picture. The subjects were admitted to the hospital as inpatients and received a balanced diet as the only treatment. Samples of venous blood were taken from nine patients at discharge and plasma amino acid profile was compared with the preadmission profile. A healthy control group included 11 children visiting the hospital for regular pediatric examination. At the time of admission the amino acid levels of tyrosine, tryptophan and leucine were significantly lower in the undernourished group of children compared to controls. On the other hand, levels of aspartate were higher in the children with malnutrition. These changes in amino acids were not present at the time of discharge from hospital after diet therapy. Taurine concentration was higher in undernourished children and remained high at the time of discharge. Compared with the control group, marasmic children showed increases in plasma aspartic acid and serine, and decrease in trypthophan. Kwashiorkor children had lower levels of tyrosine, trypthophan and leucine, but higher levels of taurine. The elevation of taurine was not corrected by diet therapy.