American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 34, 2117-2126, Copyright © 1981 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Effect of renutrition on humoral and cell-mediated immunity in severely malnourished children

DN McMurray, RR Watson and MA Reyes

Forty-three Colombian children suffering from either kwashiorkor (21), combined protein-calorie malnutrition (11), or maramus (11) were hospitalized and provided a high protein, high calorie diet for 4 to 5 wk. Improvement in clinical and nutritional status was accompanied by significant increases in levels of serum immunoglobulins G and M and C3 complement and by significant decreases in serum immunoglobulin A concentrations, especially in infants with kwashiorkor. Skin test reactions to purified protein derivative and candidin improved during renutrition. Lymphocyte blastogenesis after stimulation in vitro with phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen increased rapidly during hospitalization. After 1 yr posttreatment, cell-mediated immune responses, both in vivo and in vitro, had diminished. These results indicate that some aspects of the immune response are affected to a different degree in kwashiorkor, maramus, and combined malnutrition. Short-term nutritional rehabilitation has a differential effect on the long-term restoration of various aspects of immunity.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Gonzalez-Bermejo, F. Lofaso, L. Falaize, M. Lejaille, J-C. Raphael, T. Similowski, and J-C. Melchior Resting energy expenditure in Duchenne patients using home mechanical ventilation Eur. Respir. J., April 1, 2005; 25(4): 682 - 687. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. R. Neyestani and B. Woodward Blood Concentrations of Th2-Type Immunoglobulins Are Selectively Increased in Weanling Mice Subjected to Acute Malnutrition Experimental Biology and Medicine, February 1, 2005; 230(2): 128 - 134. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]