Abstract

The pre-dietary rehabilitation levels of acute phase proteins (APP) namely, alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), orosomucoid (ORO), haptoglobin (HAP), fibrinogen (FIB) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the plasma of Sudanese children with severe protein energy malnutrition (PEM) were compared with those of normal controls, and with the levels after dietary rehabilitation. Eighty one children were included in the study; 49 with severe PEM (23 with marasmus, 17 with marasmic-kwashiorkor and 9 with kwashiorkor), 13 with tuberculosis (TB) and 19 healthy children as controls. The study showed a high incidence of infections, especially acute respiratory infection (ARI), diarrhoeal diseases and intestinal parasites in the malnourished children. The mean plasma level of albumin was significantly lower in the malnourished children compared to controls (P

Key words: Acute phase proteins; Acute respiratory infection; Protein-energy malnutrition; Sudanese children; Tuberculosis