Assessment of Plasma Levels of Proteins, Total Cholesterol and High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Sudanese Malnourished Children

Abstract

This cross sectional study was conducted during the period from April to July 2012 on sixty (60) children under five years with malnutrition from Gaafer EbnAwf hospital and Omdrman teaching hospital for children in Khartoum state and sixty (60) apparently healthy children to determine and to assess the plasma levels of total protein, albumin, cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in Sudanese malnourished children. Colorimetric methods were used with commercial kits from Biosystems and Spinreact companies for measuring plasma total protein, albumin, total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS version 11.5) computer software was used for data analysis. Results of this study indicated that, there was a significant decrease in the means of plasma levels of total protein (p = 0.004), albumin (p = 0.000), total cholesterol (p = 0.000) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.000) in three types of malnutrition diseases {marasmus (46), kwashiokor (6) and marasmic kwashiokor(8)} when compared with the control group (5.2±1.2 g/dl) versus (5.8±0.9 g/dl), (3.5±0.9 g/dl) versus (4.5±0.7 g/dl), (79.9± 28.4 mg/dl) versus (111.2±49.4mg/dl), (22.0±15.0 mg/dl) versus (38.4±14.8 mg/dl) respectively. Lowering of total protein levels being maximum in kwashiokor when compared with marasmus (p= 0.031). There is insignificant difference (p = 0.118) in plasma levels of albumin in edematous (3.11±0.9 g/dl) when compared with non edematous malnourished children (3.61±0.9 g/dl). So the edema in malnourished children was not solely due to hypoalbuminemia and kwashiorkor was the most common type of malnutrition that needs monitoring. In conclusion, the present study indicated that, the plasma levels of total protein, albumin, total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol are important markers for evaluation and assessment of malnourished children because there are significantly decreased in malnourished children. So these evaluations make these malnourished children more controlled and decrease the mortality rate among them by determining the severity of malnutrition and give suitable doses for treatment.