Effect of nutritional recovery on the serum concentration of lipid peroxide in children with primary and severe protein energy malnutrition. Efecto de la recuperación nutricia en la concentración sérica de lipoperoxidos en niños con desnutrición proteínico-energética primaria grave

Objective. The purpose is to show lipid peroxide’s serum concentration trend during a four-week nutritional recovery period in children with primary and severe protein energy malnutrition (PEM). Methods. In a clinical intervention 12 primarily and severely malnourished children (three to 48 months of age) were included. Dependent variable: Serum lipid peroxide (LPO) concentration (nmol/mL). Independent variables: non lactose starting infant formula (200 kcal/kg/d and proteins 4 g/kg/d). Age, sex, nutritional recovery, weight/age, length/age and weight/length indices calculated and expressed as Z scores were included. For statistical analysis a repeated measure ANOVA model was applied. A non-parametric Mann Whitney U-Test was used to compare groups. Null hypothesis was rejected with a p value 0.05. Results. Throughout the study the LPO concentration was higher in subjects with PEM than in the control group (p< 0.001). There was a decrease in the LPO concentration (nmol/mL) between basal vs. two weeks (12.9 vs. 7.3, p = 0.06) and basal vs. four weeks (12.9 vs. 8.16, p = 0.08). Conclusion. LPO concentrations were significantly higher in children with severe PEM at the beginning and end of the four-week nutritional recovery period. This finding was probably associated with increased metabolism of the cellular tissue and/or the high consumption of energy and nutrients compared to a control group. The null hypothesis of basal-end differences in LPO serum concentrations could not be rejected due to the great variability in serum lipoperoxides in these children with severe primary proteinenergy malnutrition.