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. 1970 Oct 31;4(5730):268–270. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5730.268

Immunity, Transferrin, and Survival in Kwashiorkor

H McFarlane, S Reddy, K J Adcock, H Adeshina, A R Cooke, J Akene
PMCID: PMC1819797  PMID: 4097651

Abstract

In a study of 40 children with kwashiorkor, serum albumin, transferrin, and immunoglobulin levels were measured. Treatment included chloroquine, pyrimethamine, multivitamins, folic acid, iron compounds, and a high-protein diet. After two weeks the mean serum transferrin values in the children who survived and those who died were 1·30 mg./ml. and 0·33 mg./ml., respectively. Many of the children died immediately after treatment started, and it is suggested that in children with severe kwashiorkor and low serum transferrin levels any increase in free-circulating iron may result in overwhelming infection and death. Thus the appropriate time for instituting iron therapy in such patients should be reconsidered.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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