Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1998-11-24
pubmed:abstractText
The metabolic derangements in severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) are only partially known, due to the limitations of blood collection in these patients. Urinary excretion of organic acids was studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in 39 infants with four types of PEM: 1) upon hospital admission, as soon as eventual infections had been cleared, and salt and water deficits corrected, but before oral feeding was started; 2) after start of protein alimentation; 3) on the day of discharge. All of the patients showed an increased excretion of various organic acids at some point of their hospital stay, regardless of the clinical type of PEM. In nearly half of the malnourished children, results were suggestive of blocks in the pathways of propionate (15.4% with increased methylmalonate and 25.6% with 2-methylcitrate), of fatty acid beta-oxidation (30.8% with raised dicarboxylic acids with low or low normal 3-hydroxybutyrate), or of both pathways (12.8%). These abnormalities may have been caused by cofactor deficiencies (biotin, vitamin B12, riboflavin, carnitine, niacin). Dicarboxylic acids were excreted in high amounts since the initial sample, probably due to increased mobilization of fatty acids. Increased 2-methylcitrate and methylmalonate excretion was observed more frequently once patients started to be orally fed. The accumulation of potentially toxic acyl-CoA precursors of these compounds could contribute to the known clinical worsening of some malnourished infants after suddenly increased protein intake. Other less specific metabolites, such as 3-hydroxybutyrate, lactate, 4-hydroxyphenyllactate, fumarate, succinate, and 4-hydroxyphenylacetate, were also abnormally excreted in some patients. The analysis of urinary organic acids provides a new approach for the metabolic study of PEM and may have diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0031-3998
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
44
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
386-91
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1998
pubmed:articleTitle
Urinary organic acids in infant malnutrition.
pubmed:affiliation
Unidad de Genética de la Nutrición, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, México City.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't