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. 1962 Nov;15(6):511–521. doi: 10.1136/jcp.15.6.511

Muscle morphology in infantile protein malnutrition

R D Montgomery 1,2,1
PMCID: PMC480450  PMID: 16810988

Abstract

A study was made of the sartorius muscle in Jamaican infants dying of protein malnutrition. Total counts were made of muscle fibres and sub-sarcolemmal nuclei in transverse section and compared with controls.

A striking pathology is found in severe cases. The muscle fibre is reduced to a size comparable with that of the foetus. Although there is a greatly increased concentration of cells, there is also degeneration and actual loss of fibres and of sub-sarcolemmal nuclei. The proportion of the area occupied by muscle bundles may be halved, and there is a marked relative increase in interstitial collagen.

These changes profoundly affect the interpretation of the results of biochemical analysis.

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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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