POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS IN ERYTHROCYTE AND PLASMA-LIPIDS OF CHILDREN WITH SEVERE PROTEIN-ENERGY MALNUTRITION

The fatty acid composition of plasma cholesterol esters, plasma phosph olipids, erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine and erythrocyte phosphatidyle thanolamine was investigated in severely malnourished Nigerian childre n with kwashiorkor (n = 12) and marasmus (n = 32). Normally nourished children from the same area (n = 23) served as controls. The malnouris hed children showed a significant reduction of highly polyunsaturated fatty acids in cholesterol esters, phospholipids and phosphatidylcholi ne. No differences between the groups were found in erythrocyte phosph atidylethanolamine. Children with kwashiorkor had lower levels of lino leic acid metabolites and docosahexaenoic acid than marasmic children. The results suggest that the kwashiorkor syndrome is associated with impaired desaturation and elongation of PUFA and/or increased lipid pe roxidation.