SERUM THYROID-HORMONE AND THYROID-GLAND WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS IN PROTEIN-ENERGY MALNUTRITION

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a problem which concerns about ha lf the world's children. We investigated the effects of malnutrition o n thyroid gland weight and thyroid hormone levels, 22 children sufferi ng from malnutrition (14 children suffering from marasmus and 8 childr en suffering from kwashiorkor) and 7 healthy controls were studied. Ma lnutrition was confirmed clinically and according to the Wellcome clas sification definition of malnutrition. Serum thyroid hormone concentra tions were measured by radioimmunoassay and the weights of the thyroid gland were evaluated scintigraphically. In the groups with marasmus a nd kwashiorkor the mean TT4, TT3 and FT3 levels were significantly low er, and TSH levels were significantly higher, compared to controls. FT 4 was not influenced by PEM, The mean thyroid gland weights of the gro ups with marasmus and kwashiorkor were higher than that of the control group. We found no significant differences in all these parameters be tween groups with marasmus and kwashiorkor, In each of the three group s, the most marked positive correlation was between thyroid gland weig ht and ratio of thyroid gland weight to body surface area.