Aromatic Amino Acid Metabolism in the Pathogenesis of Kwashiorkor

This research may explain whether a shortage of three special compounds called aromatic amino acids is responsible for the severe illness and high death rate of children with the kwashiorkor type of malnutrition and whether supplying adequate amounts of these compounds in the treatment diet will speed up recovery from this condition. We propose that decreased availability of the aromatic amino acids may be the reason why children with kwashiorkor are sicker and more difficult to treat.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Kwashiorkor

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 82

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Jamaica
  • Kingston
    • Mona, Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston-7
      • Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, University of the West Indies

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 6 months to 1 year (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

82 children aged 6 to 18 months and diagnosed with severe protein-energy malnutrition. By the Wellcome Classification patients will have marasmus (< 60 % weight/age and no edema), marasmic-kwashiorkor (< 60 % weight/age plus edema) or kwashiorkor (< 80 % weight/age plus edema)

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Malnourished children between 6 to 18 months of age.
• To standardize for degree of malnutrition, only patients whose weight is < 80 % of that expected for age will be enrolled. By the Wellcome Classification (22), enrolled patients will have marasmus (< 60 % weight/age and no edema), marasmic-kwashiorkor (< 60 % weight/age plus edema) or kwashiorkor (< 80 % weight/age plus edema).
• Presence of infection at admission. Infection will be defined by the presence of two or more of the following: Leukocyte count >11,000 cells/dl, temperature at admission > 99 oF, positive blood or urine cultures.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Criteria for exclusion will include presence of cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, metabolic disease or HIV/AIDS.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine
• Collaborators: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2006
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 30, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 30, 2007
• First Posted (Estimate): January 31, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 26, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 24, 2020
• Last Verified: February 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Malnutrition; Severe Acute Malnutrition; Kwashiorkor
• Other Study ID Numbers: H-16233; R01DK075018 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)