ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOME TRACE ELEMENTS AND ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES IN UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN WITH PROTEIN- ENERGY MALNUTRITION
ABSTRACT
98 under-five children with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and 98 age- and sex-matched, seemingly healthy children were studied to determine the relationship between some trace elements and antioxidant enzymes (control). Those with Marasmus, Kwashiorkor, and Marasmic-kwashiorkor are among the malnourished children. Both PEM children and control children had venous blood (2ml) drawn for standard biochemical analysis. According to the results, malnourished children had significantly lower mean serum total protein (55.763.95) and albumin (26.432.78) levels as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) (1.870.32) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (42.385.03) activities.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
In developing nations, severe malnutrition is widespread in both rural and urban areas (Psaki et al., 2012). It causes at least half of the 7.6 million child deaths that occur each year in developing nations (Park et al., 2012). Children who are malnourished can be sick for up to 160 days a year (UNICEF, 2008). Malnutrition amplifies the effects of all illnesses, including malaria and the measles. The estimated percentages of deaths with diarrhea (61%) malaria (57%) pneumonia (52%) and measles (45%) as the underlying cause are all higher than those with malnutrition (Black et al., 2003). One of the most pervasive and deadly types of malnutrition is protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) (Whitney and Rolfes, 2008).