Abstract
In this study plasma free carnitine and albumin levels were measured in children with protein energy malnutrition (PEM). A total of 71 children with malnutrition were studied. The control group consisted of 20 healthy children. Mean plasma carnitin leve1 was 78.4±1.94 nmol/ml in the control group. Marasmus and kwashiorkor patients displayed lower plasma free carnitine values which were found statistically significant when compared to those of the control ( P 5.46). These was no correlation between serum albumin and free carnitine levels in cases with kwashiorkor. The reason why no correlat ion between serum a 1bumin and free carnitine levels was observed in the cases investigated in this work has been attributed to varying dis f unc t ion of the control mechanism in cases with kwashiorkor. We concluded that further inves tigations of carnitine concentration at tissue level are essential in PEM for a more effective manegement of carnitine deficiency by oral means.
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