Kwashiorkor

A syndrome produced by severe protein deficiency, characterized by retarded growth, changes in skin and hair pigment, edema, and pathologic changes in the liver, including fatty infiltration, necrosis, and fibrosis. The word is a local name in Gold Coast, Africa, meaning "displaced child". Although first reported from Africa, kwashiorkor is now known throughout the world, but mainly in the tropics and subtropics. It is considered to be related to marasmus. (From Dorland, 27th ed)

Also Known As:

Networked: 767 relevant articles (25 outcomes, 59 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Protein-Energy Malnutrition (Marasmus)
2.	Malnutrition (Nutritional Deficiencies)
3.	Infections
4.	Malaria
5.	Fatty Liver

Experts

1.	Woodward, Bill: 6 articles (05/2012 - 03/2006)
2.	Monk, Jennifer M: 5 articles (05/2012 - 03/2006)
3.	Boyne, Michael S: 4 articles (12/2022 - 01/2012)
4.	Forrester, Terrence E: 4 articles (12/2022 - 01/2012)
5.	Gluckman, Peter D: 4 articles (12/2022 - 01/2012)
6.	Osmond, Clive: 4 articles (12/2022 - 01/2012)
7.	Bandsma, Robert H J: 4 articles (09/2017 - 11/2010)
8.	Manary, Mark J: 4 articles (12/2016 - 04/2005)
9.	Senga, Edward: 4 articles (12/2016 - 11/2010)
10.	Hanson, Mark A: 3 articles (12/2022 - 01/2012)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Kwashiorkor:

1.	Proteins (Proteins, Gene)FDA Link 08/01/1988 - "Both the total nutritional and the protein depletion (kwashiorkor) scores improved significantly during the 30 days of nutritional supplementation (p less than 0.0009 and p less than 0.0004, respectively). " 07/01/1976 - "All of these may help to precipitate kwashiorkor in children subsisting on protein-deficient diets. " 03/01/1957 - "Protein and fat balance studies in children recovering from kwashiorkor." 05/01/2022 - "Thus Moringa enriched soy-milk yoghurts (B and C) represent a cheaper alternative to the control (A) providing protein-energy for low income families that is expected to help reduce the occurrence of kwashiorkor and wasting. " 05/01/2021 - ""No one may starve in the British Empire": Kwashiorkor, Protein and the Politics of Nutrition Between Britain and Africa."
2.	AntioxidantsIBA 05/14/2005 - "To evaluate the efficacy of antioxidant supplementation in preventing kwashiorkor in a population of Malawian children at high risk of developing kwashiorkor. " 05/14/2005 - "Antioxidant supplementation for the prevention of kwashiorkor in Malawian children: randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial." 01/01/2015 - "Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Kenyan Leafy Green Vegetables, Wild Fruits, and Medicinal Plants with Potential Relevance for Kwashiorkor." 05/14/2005 - "Antioxidant supplementation at the dose provided did not prevent the onset of kwashiorkor. " 05/14/2005 - "62 children developed kwashiorkor (defined by the presence of oedema); 39/1184 (3.3%) were in the antioxidant group and 23/1188 (1.9%) were in the placebo group (relative risk 1.70, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 2.42). "
3.	Immunoglobulin A (IgA)IBA 09/01/1983 - "Peripheral blood B lymphocytes in acute Kwashiorkor however, showed a reduction in IgA synthesis in the acute stage. " 09/01/1983 - "Histological examination of plasma cells in the biopsy tissue confirms a twofold increase in IgA staining plasma cells in acute Kwashiorkor. " 09/01/1982 - "The IgA level was slightly lower in the kwashiorkor group than in the control group, and there was no statistical difference between IgA level in the acute gastroenteritis and the control group. " 11/01/1976 - "The results of the study indicated that in children suffering from kwashiorkor and marasmus the concentration of IgA in duodenal fluid, saliva, nasal secretions, and tears was significantly reduced on admission and returned to normal 4 weeks after treatment. " 09/01/1982 - "Secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) was quantitated using the Mancini technique in the nasal washings of children with acute gastroenteritis and in children with kwashiorkor but without gut symptoms. "
4.	Insulin (Novolin)FDA Link 09/01/1983 - "With improved dietary intake and some degree of anthropometric recovery, GH concentration fell steadily while insulin rose especially among the kwashiorkor cases. " 07/01/2000 - "Fasting insulin levels were significantly decreased in the kwashiorkor group compared with marasmic and normal children. " 09/01/2012 - "Insulin responses were strongly impaired in both kwashiorkor and marasmus. " 11/01/1986 - "Insulin responses to arginine were impaired in kwashiorkor, and marasmic-kwashiorkor children and improved significantly after refeeding. " 05/01/1977 - "Fasting plasma insulin and growth hormone concentrations were measured in 24 marasmic, 11 kwashiorkor, 16 marasmic-kwashiorkor, and 4 underweight children. "
5.	Anti-Bacterial Agents (Antibiotics)IBA 01/01/2013 - "In addition, antibiotics reduce mortality in children with kwashiorkor." 03/11/1978 - "It is felt that routine antibiotic therapy is advisable in the management of kwashiorkor." 01/01/2021 - "This was consistent with the fact that antibiotics improved survival only in children with kwashiorkor but not marasmus. " 03/01/2000 - "Risk factors for development of resistant enteric gram-negative infections include village births, prolonged hospital stay, kwashiorkor in adopted children and previous treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. " 01/01/2019 - "These results provide a biological basis to support the usage of an antibiotic therapy more effective in suppressing the overgrowth of bacterial communities resistant to penicillin, combined with antioxidants and probiotics for nutritional recovery therapies, particularly for kwashiorkor."
6.	Chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin)FDA Link 01/01/1983 - "In children with kwashiorkor the plasma clearance of chloramphenicol was significantly lower than in children of normal weight (4.16 ml/min/kg versus 7.53 ml/min/kg). " 01/01/1993 - "Compared to underweight children, on average marasmic and kwashiorkor subjects exhibited a 2- and 3-fold increase, respectively, in the AUC of chloramphenicol. " 06/01/1977 - "The binding of chloramphenicol to normal and kwashiorkor sera was investigated in vitro. " 06/01/1977 - "Chloramphenicol binding to normal and kwashiorkor sera." 04/01/1986 - "There were a number of unusual infections including two cases of septicaemia in children receiving chloramphenicol for Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, a scrotal abscess secondary to extravasation of urine and infected scabies in a child with marasmic kwashiorkor."
7.	Amino AcidsFDA Link 04/01/1982 - "Previous studies on hair in kwashiorkor have been equivocal regarding the normal or abnormal incorporation of amino acids into the hair shaft. " 10/17/1959 - "Studies of amino acid handling in kwashiorkor with a possible explanation for the increased amino-aciduria." 09/01/1997 - "We conclude that by making the amino acid composition of the diet resemble that of APPs in the treatment of acute kwashiorkor, the rate of amino acid oxidation can be decreased." 07/01/1990 - "In kwashiorkor-like PEM, His is elevated in plasma and brain, whereas all other indispensable amino acids are decreased. " 01/01/1981 - "The urinary amino acid/total urinary N (3.62) was found to be almost constant for Kwashiorkor patients, while the mean for marasmic patients was found to be 27. "
8.	AflatoxinsIBA 04/01/1990 - "These findings establish that aflatoxins accumulate in body fluids and tissues in kwashiorkor and marasmic kwashiorkor which is only slowly eliminated." 12/01/1987 - "Aflatoxins and kwashiorkor in Kenya: a hospital based study in a rural area of Kenya." 01/01/1986 - "Aflatoxins and kwashiorkor: clinical studies in Sudanese children." 09/25/1982 - "Aflatoxins and kwashiorkor: a study in Sudanese children." 01/01/2021 - "Aflatoxins and kwashiorkor: A commentary on the association-causation conundrum."
9.	PotassiumIBA 02/01/1997 - "The aim of this study was to determine if high potassium supplementation improves the outcome of kwashiorkor treatment. " 02/01/1997 - "We recommend that the standard potassium supplement for the initial phase of treatment of kwashiorkor be increased from 4 to 8 mmol/kg/day." 02/01/1997 - "The high potassium supplementation reduced mortality and significant morbidity in kwashiorkor. " 02/01/1997 - "We performed a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high potassium supplementation in 99 children with kwashiorkor. " 02/01/1997 - "Potassium supplementation in kwashiorkor."
10.	SodiumIBA 01/01/1977 - "The results obtained revealed that: The level of plasma sodium was lower than normal in all PCM cases except in marasmic kwashiorkor. " 05/01/1990 - "Red cells in oedematous malnutrition (kwashiorkor) have an increased sodium content, 'leakiness' to sodium and enhanced sodium pumping. " 09/01/1977 - "It is concluded that at least two defects in sodium transport may occur in protein energy malnutrition, an increased passive permeability in kwashiorkor and a reduced active transport for sodium in marasmus." 05/01/2015 - "There are close pathophysiological parallels between kwashiorkor and Finnish congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS) pre-nephrectomy; both develop protein-energy malnutrition and hypoalbuminaemia, which predisposes them to intravascular hypovolaemia with consequent sodium and water retention, and makes them highly vulnerable to develop hypovolaemic shock with diarrhoea. " 05/01/1990 - "The reduction in glutathione reproduced the abnormalities of sodium content and flux observed in kwashiorkor. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Therapeutics 04/01/2005 - "The objective was to compare the recovery rates among children with moderate and severe wasting, kwashiorkor, or both receiving either home-based therapy with RUTF or standard inpatient therapy. " 01/01/2005 - "The therapy of kwashiorkor is still ineffective. " 11/27/1971 - "Impaired cellular immunity in kwashiorkor with improvement after therapy." 12/01/1961 - "The effect of prolonged skimmed-milk therapy on the levels of certain constituents of the blood serum in kwashiorkor." 03/01/1961 - "[Further observations concerning kwashiorkor in Sicily, with special reference to the etiopathogenesis and therapy]."
2.	Enteral Nutrition (Feeding, Tube) 03/01/1997 - "Routine tube-feeding was associated with improved body weight gain in the treatment of kwashiorkor. " 09/01/1976 - "Force-feeding a purified diet free of single essential amino acids induces within days morphologic changes resembling those that occur in humans with kwashiorkor, a world-wide nutritional deficiency disease in children. "
3.	Aftercare (After-Treatment) 04/01/1978 - "After treatment, erythrocyte Na+ and K+ and plasma K+ in children with kwashiorkor increased significantly. " 08/01/1992 - " Plasma creatinine levels after treatment were significantly (p 0.01) lower for marasmic-kwashiorkor after treatment than on admission. " 04/01/1971 - "Motor nerve conduction in kwashiorkor (protein-calorie deficiency) before and after treatment." 11/01/1976 - "The results of the study indicated that in children suffering from kwashiorkor and marasmus the concentration of IgA in duodenal fluid, saliva, nasal secretions, and tears was significantly reduced on admission and returned to normal 4 weeks after treatment. " 01/01/1972 - "A sequential study of serum and urine aminograms in severe protein malnutrition (Kwashiorkor) before and after treatment."
4.	Nursing Care 12/01/1972 - "Nursing care study: kwashiorkor." 10/14/1966 - "Kwashiorkor; prizewinning nursing care study." 02/01/2000 - "A total of 75 children admitted with kwashiorkor in Blantyre, Malawi, received intensive nursing care. " 02/01/2000 - "Intensive nursing care of kwashiorkor in Malawi." 02/01/2000 - "Intensive nursing care of kwashiorkor in Malawi."
5.	Protein-Restricted Diet (Diet, Protein Restricted) 06/01/2001 - "We isolated muscles from 3 groups (n = 5) of weanling C57BL/6J mice of both sexes (i) mice at 19 days of age serving as zero-time or baseline controls (CONT) (ii) mice fed for the next 14 days with a low-protein diet that produces features of incipient kwashiorkor (LPD) and (iii) mice fed for the next 14 days with a complete diet (NORM). " 03/01/1988 - "Low protein diet was given and, thus, the full picture of kwashiorkor developed soon as a logical consequence. " 05/01/2012 - "Male and female C57BL/6J mice, initially 19 d old, consumed a complete purified diet either ad libitum (age-matched controls) or in restricted daily quantities (mimicking marasmus), or consumed an isoenergetic low-protein diet ad libitum (mimicking incipient kwashiorkor) for 14 d (six animals per dietary group). " 03/01/2006 - "Male and female C57BL/6J mice, initially 19 days old, and CBA/J mice, initially 23 days old, consumed a complete purified diet either ad libitum (age-matched control) or in restricted daily quantities (mimicking marasmus), or they consumed a purified isocaloric low-protein diet ad libitum (mimicking incipient kwashiorkor). " 01/01/2018 - "We previously reported that a low-protein diet caused animals to develop fatty liver containing a high level of triglycerides (TG), similar to the human nutritional disorder "kwashiorkor". "