Increased oxidative stress in kwashiorkor

To test the hypothesis that kwashiorkor is associated with increased oxidat ive stress, urinary concentrations of 2 oxidized amino acids, o,o'-dityrosi ne and ortho-tyrosine, were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometr y. Children with kwashiorkor, with or without infection, had a 3- to 7-fold increase in urinary o,o'-digrosine and a 1.5- to 2-fold increase in ortho- tyrosine when compared with well-nourished children. This observation raise s the possibility that oxidative damage to proteins and other biologic targ ets plays a role in the clinical manifestations of kwashiorkor.