Protein-calorie malnutrition and the significance of cell mass relative to body length

Abstract

Fifty-eight boys 2 to 8 years old who came from the same poverty-stricken area of Guatemala were studied for anthropometric growth (length, weight, arm and calf circumfer- ence) and for body composition (deuterium space minus corrected bromide space equals intracel- lular water, ICW). The boys were divided into four subgroups: 1A, those who had been admitted for reasons other than protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM), representing the nutritional status of the general population; 1B, those who had been fed a hospital diet for 6 months and were considered normal; 2A, those clinically malnourished with recent edema; 2B, those who had been classed as clinically malnourished but had had approximately 1 month of rehabilitation. All boys were retarded in length and weight for age by Caucasian standards. Subgroup lB was considered to bethebestnourishedgroupand subgroup2A theworst. In subgroup 1B the weight agewas 5 months aheadofthelengthage.Insubgroup2A theweightagewas 5 months behind lengthage.Arm and calf circumference were reduced for 2A when compared with 1B. Measure- ment of ICW (or active tissue mass) was considered against body length. These measurements of ICW fell above the median for normal Caucasian boys for subgroups 1A and 1B and below the Caucasian median for subgroups 2A and 2B. It is postulated that a reduction of ICW relative to body length is indicative of a significant reduction in protein reserves. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 30: 851-860, 1977.