Plasma and urine carnitine levels and carnitine supplementation in children with malnutrition

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine serum and urinary carnitine levels in children suffering from protein-energy malnutrition (P EM) before and after dietary treatment and carnitine supplementation, and t o compare them with those in healthy children. Plasma and urine carnitine l evels mere lower in patients with marasmus and kwashiorkor than in controls . There was no statistical difference between groups with and without carni tine supplementation on on the first day. On the fifth day, in groups recei ving carnitine supplementation, plasma and urine carnitine levels mere sign ificantly higher than in groups without supplementation (p < 0.01). On the 15th day there was no statistical significance between groups with PEM and controls.