Biomaterial Database

Surface lipid composition in children with protein-calorie malnutrition. 1978

J S Strauss, and J J Vitale, and D T Downing, and D Franco

The composition of skin surface lipid has been measured in a group of 21 children with the diagnosis of marasmic-kwashiokor. When compared to the values for healthy children of comparable age, the squalene content was significantly decreased (3.1% +/- 3.2% versus 9.8% +/- 3.6%) and the squalene/wax ester ratio was also significantly decreased (0.57 +/- 0.55 versus 2.13 +/- 0.91). Measurements of skin surface lipid also were made in five of these children after treatment. The altered values reverted towards normal. Since changes in the squalene content and the squalene/wax ester ratio of skin surface lipid can be correlated with other biochemical changes of protein-calorie malnutrition, the analysis of surface lipid, a procedure that is both convenient and non-invasive, can be of use in determining the nutritional status in field studies of malnourished subjects.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007732	Kwashiorkor	A syndrome produced by severe protein deficiency, characterized by retarded growth, changes in skin and hair pigment, edema, and pathologic changes in the liver, including fatty infiltration, necrosis, and fibrosis. The word is a local name in Gold Coast, Africa, meaning "displaced child". Although first reported from Africa, kwashiorkor is now known throughout the world, but mainly in the tropics and subtropics. It is considered to be related to marasmus. (From Dorland, 27th ed)	Kwashiorkors
D011502	Protein-Energy Malnutrition	The lack of sufficient energy or protein to meet the body's metabolic demands, as a result of either an inadequate dietary intake of protein, intake of poor quality dietary protein, increased demands due to disease, or increased nutrient losses.	Marasmus,Protein-Calorie Malnutrition,Malnutrition, Protein-Calorie,Malnutrition, Protein-Energy,Malnutritions, Protein-Energy,Protein Calorie Malnutrition,Protein Energy Malnutrition
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D002784	Cholesterol	The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.	Epicholesterol
D002788	Cholesterol Esters	Fatty acid esters of cholesterol which constitute about two-thirds of the cholesterol in the plasma. The accumulation of cholesterol esters in the arterial intima is a characteristic feature of atherosclerosis.	Cholesterol Ester,Cholesteryl Ester,Cholesteryl Esters,Ester, Cholesterol,Ester, Cholesteryl,Esters, Cholesterol,Esters, Cholesteryl
D005989	Glycerides	GLYCEROL esterified with FATTY ACIDS.	Acylglycerol,Acylglycerols
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.