Phospholipids of the liver in children suffering from protein–calorie undernutrition

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Abstract
1. Thirty-nine children suffering from protein–calorie undernutrition were classified into nineteen with kwashiorkor, twelve with marasmus and eight with nutritional oedema according to history, physical findings and laboratory investigations. Liver biopsy samples from these patients were extracted with lipid solvents and the phospholipids were fractionated into phosphatidylcholine, ethanolamine and serine, and sphingomyelin.2. The total liver phospholipids were found to be reduced in kwashiorkor and the reduction was mainly in the phosphatidyl ethanolamine fraction. The decrease in phosphatidyl ethanolamine was probably due to an observed reduction in free serine content. The ethanolamine phosphatase activity of the liver was found to be high in kwashiorkor.

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