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: 553 relevant articles (15 outcomes, 37 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Protein-Energy Malnutrition (Marasmus)
2.	Malaria
3.	Body Weight (Weight, Body)
4.	Skin Diseases
5.	Cholestasis

Experts

1.	Woodward, Bill: 4 articles (05/2012 - 03/2006)
2.	Monk, Jennifer M: 4 articles (05/2012 - 03/2006)
3.	Heikens, Geert Tom: 3 articles (09/2012 - 11/2010)
4.	Mendel, Marijke: 3 articles (09/2012 - 11/2010)
5.	Spoelstra, Martijn N: 3 articles (09/2012 - 11/2010)
6.	Senga, Edward: 3 articles (09/2012 - 11/2010)
7.	Bandsma, Robert H J: 3 articles (09/2012 - 11/2010)
8.	Manary, M J: 3 articles (09/2000 - 02/2000)
9.	Mari, Andrea: 2 articles (09/2012 - 02/2011)
10.	Reijngoud, Dirk-Jan: 2 articles (09/2012 - 11/2010)

Drugs and Biologics

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

1.	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. " 08/01/1977 - "In adult kwashiorkor-like syndromes, the insulin response to the combined stimulus of catabolic stress and carbohydrate feedings reduces the mobilization of fat and protein stores. " 07/01/1972 - "Insulin secretion in kwashiorkor." 09/01/2012 - "Insulin responses were strongly impaired in both kwashiorkor and marasmus. "
2.	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 - "The unbound fraction both of chloramphenicol and its prodrug were slightly elevated in serum from kwashiorkor subjects. " 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. " 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." 01/01/1993 - "After a single intravenous dose corresponding to chloramphenicol 25 mg per kg bodyweight, the plasma clearance of chloramphenicol monosuccinate was decreased only in severely malnourished children with kwashiorkor. "
3.	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." 03/01/2005 - "The mean serum levels of total aflatoxins, AFB1, AFG1, and AFB2a, were significantly higher in infants with kwashiorkor (p <.001). "
4.	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. " 09/01/1980 - "Results revealed that in moderate and severe kwashiorkor the total essential and non-essential R.B.C.'s amino acids were decreased. " 12/01/1971 - "[Free amino acids in plasma in kwashiorkor]." 03/01/1971 - "Plasma amino acids in children from Guadalajara with kwashiorkor." 08/01/1966 - "The free amino acids of plasma and urine in kwashiorkor."
5.	Immunoglobulins (Immunoglobulin)IBA 08/01/1970 - "A study of immunoglobulins in kwashiorkor." 06/01/1988 - "Immunoglobulins in kwashiorkor." 04/01/1984 - "Serum immunoglobulin levels in kwashiorkor." 08/01/1970 - "Immunoglobulins in kwashiorkor." 10/01/1969 - "Serum immunoglobulins in kwashiorkor."
6.	Glutathione (Reduced Glutathione)IBA 09/01/2002 - "Glutathione in kwashiorkor." 02/01/1995 - "Discussed is the prospect of administering glutathione in kwashiorkor patients." 05/01/1990 - "We suggest that oxidant stress in kwashiorkor, by reducing cellular glutathione, may affect cell membrane electrolyte transport. " 01/01/1986 - "In kwashiorkor there is a severe decrease in the level of both oxidised and reduced glutathione in the red cell. " 12/01/1983 - "On the other hand, the glutathione (GSH) content in liver cytosol of the kwashiorkor animals was much higher than that of the controls. "
7.	OsteocalcinIBA 05/01/1995 - "Serum osteocalcin levels were dramatically reduced in stunted, kwashiorkor, and marasmic children compared with control children. " 01/01/1991 - "[Nutritional regulation of serum osteocalcin: study in kwashiorkor]." 01/01/1991 - "The serum osteocalcin of all kwashiorkor children was dramatically decreased on admission to hospital, but increased fourfold during rehabilitation. " 01/01/1991 - "The serum levels of osteocalcin (bone gla protein) in two groups of Senegalese children, healthy controls and severely malnourished (kwashiorkor) children during nutritional rehabilitation, were measured. " 05/01/1995 - "To evaluate bone turnover changes occurring during protein-energy malnutrition, serum osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation, has been studied in healthy control, stunted, and severely malnourished (kwashiorkor and marasmus) Senegalese children. "
8.	Carotenoids (Carotene)IBA 01/01/2014 - "Our study supports that β-carotene may play an important role in the protection against kwashiorkor development. " 11/01/1971 - "Absorption of carotene in children suffering from kwashiorkor." 05/10/1954 - "Vitamin E and carotenoids in the blood plasma in kwashiorkor."
9.	Caffeine (No Doz)FDA LinkGeneric 03/01/2000 - "Caffeine: a useful adjunct in the rehabilitation of children suffering from kwashiorkor?" 05/01/2000 - "The total plasma oral clearance of caffeine of 4.4 +/- 1.9 ml/min/kg in healthy children was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in those with kwashiorkor (2.0 +/- 0.9 ml/min/kg) and malaria (1.6 +/- 1.0 ml/min/ kg) (P < 0.05). " 01/01/2015 - "Hepatic metabolism of caffeine significantly decreased in children with marasmus, marasmic-kwashiorkor, and kwashiorkor compared to after they had recovered nutritionally. " 05/01/2000 - "However, the elimination half-life of caffeine was significantly longer in children with malaria (9.2 +/- 3.5 h) (P < 0.01) and kwashiorkor (13.1 +/- 7.9 h) (P < 0.05) than in the healthy controls (3.7 +/- 1.8 h). " 05/01/2000 - "A single oral dose of caffeine was given to five healthy children and to five and seven children suffering from malaria and kwashiorkor, respectively. "
10.	Thioctic Acid (Lipoic Acid)IBA 01/01/2005 - "The data strongly suggest that a therapy restoring the antioxidative capacity by applying cysteine equivalents in the form of glutathione and/or alpha-lipoic acid is beneficial for biochemical and clinical recovery of kwashiorkor patients." 01/01/2005 - "Children with severe kwashiorkor were randomly assigned to either a standard treatment (ST) receiving a therapeutic protocol based on the recommendations of the WHO or to one of three study groups receiving in addition 2 x 600 mg reduced glutathione or 2 x 50 mg alpha-lipoic acid or 2 x 100 mg N-acetylcysteine per day. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	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. "
2.	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."
3.	Aftercare (After-Treatment) 08/01/1992 - " The plasma globulin fraction which contains immune elements for body defense may be more tenaciously retained in PEM than albumin and only kwashiorkor showed a significant (p 0.05) increase after treatment. " 11/01/1979 - "1. Serum postheparin lipolytic activities (PHLA), triglyceride and free fatty acid concentrations were determined in children with kwashiorkor before and after treatment and also in normal control children. " 04/01/1971 - "Motor nerve conduction in kwashiorkor (protein-calorie deficiency) before and after treatment." 01/01/1972 - "A sequential study of serum and urine aminograms in severe protein malnutrition (Kwashiorkor) before and after treatment." 08/01/1992 - " Plasma creatinine levels after treatment were significantly (p 0.01) lower for marasmic-kwashiorkor after treatment than on admission. "
4.	Protein-Restricted Diet (Diet, Protein Restricted) 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). " 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). " 01/01/2011 - "Weanling mice consumed a complete diet ad libitum, a low-protein diet ad libitum (mimicking incipient kwashiorkor), or the complete diet in restricted daily quantities (mimicking marasmus), and their second-tier IL-10 production was determined both in vitro and in vivo using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and anti-CD3 as stimulants of innate and adaptive defences, respectively. "
5.	Gastrectomy 01/01/1995 - "To our knowledge, there has been no other report of the symptoms of secondary Kwashiorkor after total gastrectomy being alleviated by altering the procedure of reconstruction of the intestinal tract. " 01/01/1995 - "In an attempt to permanently resolve the ongoing Kwashiorkor symptoms, reconstructive surgery involving transposition of the jejunum from the previous Graham method to the interposition method was performed 10 years after the initial gastrectomy. " 01/01/1995 - "Successful surgical treatment of secondary Kwashiorkor after total gastrectomy: report of a case." 04/14/1973 - "Syndrome resembling kwashiorkor after partial gastrectomy." 01/01/1995 - "We report herein the case of a 56-year-old woman who developed secondary Kwashiorkor 9 years after undergoing a total gastrectomy for early gastric cancer. "