Effect of chemical mutagenic agent on chromosomal pattern of Egyptian kwashiorkor infants

ABSTRACT

Previous animal studies suggested that malnutrition has a mutagenic and carcinogenic effect through inhibition of protein synthesis and DNA replication. However in humans, the effect of malnutrition is still controversial in spite of the fact that many studies had detected higher frequency of chromosomal aberrations in malnourished children as compared to the healthy controls. This work was carried out to determine the effect of malnutrition on human chromosomes and to test the cell sensitivity to chemical mutagens. We tried also to correlate the frequency of chromosomal damage to the level of plasma proteins. The study was conducted on twenty protein energy malnourished patients and twenty apparently healthy controls .Seventeen patients out of the twenty were reevaluated after nutritional rehabilitation and complete clinical recovery. Patients and controls were subjected to history taking, clinical examination, plasma protein electrophoresis and cytogenetic study. Cytogenetic study using micronucleus test [MN] revealed a statistically significant higher MN in patients before treatment [1.4 +/- 1.5] as compared to both after treatment [0.5 +/- 0.76] and the controls [0.55 +/- 1.0]. While there was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of MN in patients after treatment as compared to the controls. There was higher frequency of chromosomal aberrations [CA] in patients before treatment [3.2% +/- 2.49] as compared to patients after treatment [2% +/- 1.1] and the controls [2.3% +/- 2.8], however, this data was statistically insignificant [P>0.05]. There was negative correlation between total serum proteins and albumin and the frequency of chromosomal aberrations. Lymphocytes from malnourished patients were more susceptible to chromosomal damage induced by bleomycin in vitro than the lymphocytes of the control children. The detected susceptibility was significantly decreased after treatment of the patients. the mean percentage increase in CA [induced by blemoycin in vitro] was statistically higher in patients before treatment [199.6% +/- 199.6] as compared to after treatment [97% +/- 136.2] and the controls [102% +/- 160.4]