Aromatic Amino Acid Metabolism in the Pathogenesis of Kwashiorkor

Kwashiorkor Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00429351
• Other study ID #: H-16233
• Secondary ID: R01DK075018
• Status: Completed
• Start date: September 2006
• Est. completion date: June 2010

Study information

• Verified date: February 2020
• Source: Baylor College of Medicine
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

This research may explain whether a shortage of three special compounds called aromatic amino acids is responsible for the severe illness and high death rate of children with the kwashiorkor type of malnutrition and whether supplying adequate amounts of these compounds in the treatment diet will speed up recovery from this condition. We propose that decreased availability of the aromatic amino acids may be the reason why children with kwashiorkor are sicker and more difficult to treat.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 82
• Est. completion date: June 2010
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 6 Months to 18 Months

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Malnourished children between 6 to 18 months of age.

• To standardize for degree of malnutrition, only patients whose weight is < 80 % of that expected for age will be enrolled. By the Wellcome Classification (22), enrolled patients will have marasmus (< 60 % weight/age and no edema), marasmic-kwashiorkor (< 60 % weight/age plus edema) or kwashiorkor (< 80 % weight/age plus edema).

• Presence of infection at admission. Infection will be defined by the presence of two or more of the following: Leukocyte count >11,000 cells/dl, temperature at admission > 99 oF, positive blood or urine cultures.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Criteria for exclusion will include presence of cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, metabolic disease or HIV/AIDS.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Kwashiorkor

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Jamaica	Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, University of the West Indies	Mona	Kingston

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Baylor College of Medicine	National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Jamaica,