Erythrocyte clutathione reductase activity and riboflavin status in severely malnourished children - abstract

ABSTRACT

Erythrocyte glutathione reductase (EGR), cofactor is riboflavin (vit B2), functions together with glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase to maintain cellular levels of glutathione and thus the integrity of the erythrocyte. The compromised antioxidant status of severely malnourished children along with increased exposure to metabolic stress led us to postulate that EGR activity might be increased in malnutrition as a compensatory response to oxidative stress. We therefore measured EGR activity in 49 severly malnourished children on admission and again in 35 of these children at discharge. Erythocyte glutathione-reductase-activation-coefficient (ERGAC), an index of riboflavin status, was also assessed. Twenty-two healthy children served as controls (C). The malnourished group had significantly higher EGR activity (8.34 ñ 0.31 U/g Hb; mean ñ SEM) than the control group (6.63 ñ 0.23 U/g Hb). On admission, children with marasmus (M) had significantly higher EGR activities (8.95 ñ .046 U/g Hb) than children with marasmic kwashiorkor (MK 8.08 ñ 0.67 U/g Hb) or kwashiorkor (K 7.66 ñ 0.53 U/g Hb). At discharge, high levels of EGR were maintained in all groups. However, the kwashiorkor group showed a significant increase up to (10.37 + 0.41 U/g Hb). An EGRAC > 1.30 indicates riboflavin deficiency. Forty per cent of the controls as well as 50 percent of the malnourished children were deficient in riboflavin supplementation of the malnourished groups, the EGRAC fell to normal levels. We concluded (1) that EGR activity is increased in severly malnourished children; this may be as a result of increased metabolic stress, and (2) the riboflavine status of malnourished children improved significantly during their recovery (AU)