Alpha-2-macroglobulin, 3-methylhistidine and other biochemical parameters in preschool children of marginal nutritional status. Some evidence of an adaptation process in subclinical protein-energy malnutrition

Abstract

Anthropometric measurements were taken from 14 preschool children from families with a rather high socioeconomic status in Bangkok and from 14 age-matched village preschool children suffering from or just recovering from subclinical protein energy malnutrition (PEM). Subclinical malnutrition was defined as -2.00 standard deviation (SD) score and below, of weight for height based on an internationally used N orth American standard from the US National Centre for Health Statistics. The SD scores weight for height and height for age were calculated. The medians of SD scores for both indicators of the nutritional status were found to be statistically significantly lower for the Khon Kaen children compared to their Bangkok counterparts. The serum proteinase inhibitor, alpha 2 -macroglobulin (α 2 M) concentration was found to be statistically significantly higher and 3-Methylhistidine (3MH) excretion per 24 hours urine significantly lower for the village children compared with both variables derived from the urban children. These findings support the hypothesis that, in a marginal nutritional situation, muscle catabolism is influenced to adjust to actual protein, or protein and energy requirements to intake, by slowing down the metabolic rate. α 2 M may be directly or indirectly involved in this process possibly by interacting with the muscle proteases. © 1988 Pergamon Press plc.