Aromatic Amino Acid Metabolism in the Pathogenesis of Kwashiorkor

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00429351

Enrollment

Registered

2007-01-31

Start date

2006-09-30

Completion date

2010-06-30

Last updated

2020-02-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Kwashiorkor

Brief summary

This research may explain whether a shortage of three special compounds called aromatic amino acids is responsible for the severe illness and high death rate of children with the kwashiorkor type of malnutrition and whether supplying adequate amounts of these compounds in the treatment diet will speed up recovery from this condition. We propose that decreased availability of the aromatic amino acids may be the reason why children with kwashiorkor are sicker and more difficult to treat.

Interventions

None listed

Study design

Observational model

CASE_CROSSOVER

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

6 Months to 18 Months

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Malnourished children between 6 to 18 months of age. * To standardize for degree of malnutrition, only patients whose weight is \< 80 % of that expected for age will be enrolled. By the Wellcome Classification (22), enrolled patients will have marasmus (\< 60 % weight/age and no edema), marasmic-kwashiorkor (\< 60 % weight/age plus edema) or kwashiorkor (\< 80 % weight/age plus edema). * Presence of infection at admission. Infection will be defined by the presence of two or more of the following: Leukocyte count \>11,000 cells/dl, temperature at admission \> 99 oF, positive blood or urine cultures.

Exclusion criteria

* Criteria for exclusion will include presence of cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, metabolic disease or HIV/AIDS.

Countries

Jamaica

Outcome results