Evaluation of Plasma Levels of Total Protein and Albumin in Sudanese Children with Malnutrition in Khartoum State

Abstract

This study was carried out to measure plasma levels of total protein and albumin in malnourished children. Sixty samples were collected from malnourished children in period between January to April 2017, chosen randomly from Omdurman teaching hospital for children in Khartoum state, and sixty apparently healthy individuals as control group, to assess the effect of malnutrition on plasma levels of total protein and albumin. Plasma total protein and albumin measured by using manually Biosystem kits by using Spectrophotometer biosystem, and results were analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS), computer program. The result of this study showed that PEM most common among age between (6-9) years (88%), and malnutrition most abundant in females (56 .7%) than males (43.3%). The study showed that, the plasma levels of total protein and albumin was significantly decreased in Sudanese malnourished children. Mean ± SD for cases versus control. For total protein :( 5.08± 0.72 versus 7.53 ±0.43 g/dl, p-value =0.000). For albumin: (2.78± 0.42 versus 4.41 ± 0.51 g/dl, p-value =0.000). Also the finding of this study showed that, there was significant decrease in the mean of BM I in malnourished children group compared to control group. Mean BMI± SD for case versus control (15.28 ± 2.28 kg/m2 versus 19.25 ± 2.48 kg/m2). Person correlation showed that, there was no correlation between age of malnourished children and the level of albumin (r= 0.059, p-value= 0.655), and there was insignificant weak positive correlation between age and levels of protein (r= 0.106, p-value= 0.420). There were significant weak negative correlation between the levels of total protein, albumin and the duration of malnourished children (r = - 0.092, p-value = 0. 487) (r = - 0. 255, p-value =0.052) respectively. It is concluded that: the plasma levels of total protein and albumin were significantly decreased in Sudanese malnourished children.