Plasma fibronectin in malnourished children

ABSTRACT

Malnutrition is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Egyptian children. In this study, plasma fibronectin was estimated for 20 patients diagnosed clinically as protein energy malnutrition and 10 healthy age matched controls. Fibronectin levels were significantly lower in the marasmic and KWO cases as compared to controls and the levels in KWO group were low than in the marasmic group. This decrease could be explained by reduced synthesis rate in starvation. Plasma fibronectin could therefore be used as an early indicator for nutritional deficiency and for prognosis of the severity of the case