SERUM FREE
CARNITINE LEVELS
IN CHILDREN WITH FAILURE TO THRIVE
Tanzer F1, Bayran G1,
Kılınç K2
1Department of
Pediatrics, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
2 Deparment of
Biochemistry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
Objective: This study was performed
in order to determine whether failure to thrive actually induces
hypocarnitinemia.
Methods: The study was carried
out in 74 children suffering from failure to thrive and 20 healty controls
enjoying normal development. Cases with a history prematurity, intrauterine
growth retardation, skeletal and / or chromosomal anomaly, acute / chronic
infection, acute malnutrition, metabolic, haematologic, cardiac and
endocrinal disease and patients with malignancies were not covered in this
study. The anthropometric measurements were evaluated in accordance with
the growth curves of the national centre of health statistics. Children
displaying stunting included in this study. The mean age of patients was
8.6 years ( Range 6 months to 16 years). Total biochemical aspects examined
using Bio Clinica kits and expressed plus auto-analyser. Thyroid function
tests were made using radioimmunoassay method. The measurement of the serum free carnitine (SFC) levels were
made as defined by Morquize and Fritz using the enzymatic method.
Results: The mean SFC
concentration in 30 patients with stunding was significantly lower than
control group (P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Carnitine
is an aminoacid playing a role the b-oxidation of fatty
acids found in the tissues of all mammalians. The adverse effect of
carnitine deficiency on growth and development has recently been a subject
to an increasing number of investigations. For this reason SFC levels in
patients suffering from stunding particularly in childhood, should be
investigated and, if deficiency is determined , oral L-carnitine which is a
safe and harmless therapy should be applied.