Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: April | Volume: 11 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 263-271
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20210431
Biological Profile of the Undernourished Child Hospitalized at the CHU of Brazzaville
Christel Mikolélé-Bilombo, DS1; Lucie Charlotte Atipo-Ibara Ollandzobo, MD1,2; Steve Vassili Missambou Mandilou, MD2; Thibaut Ocko Gokaba Lethso, MD1; Josué Simo Louokdom, MD3; Clausina Mikolélé-Bilombo Ahoui, AL1,4, Jean Robert Mabiala-Babela, SL1, 2, Jean-Rosaire Ibara, SL1, 4
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville-Congo.
2Department of Pediatrics, Teaching Hospital of Brazzaville, Brazzaville-Congo.
3Cameroon Mountain University, Douala-Cameroon
4Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Teaching Hospital of Brazzaville, Brazzaville-Congo.
Corresponding Author: Christel Mikolélé-Bilombo
ABSTRACT
Background: In developing countries, the inclusion assessment of the undernourished child in hospital is limited to simple routine examinations as in any pathology. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the relevance of the biological parameters routinely requested in addition to the parameters of undernutrition per se.
Material and methods: Descriptive and analytical study carried out in Brazzaville among hospitalized and malnourished children from one to 59 months. Eight biological parameters were measured: C-reactive protein, orosomucoid, albumin and transthyretin using Cobas c311; blood count using Sysmex XN350 counter, serum protein electrophoresis on HELENA chain, sedimentation rate, and HIV retroviral serology. The R software was used for statistical analysis and the significance threshold was set at 0.05.
Results: The blood count of the malnourished child reported a hypochromic microcytic anemia associated with hemodilution. The SV was moderately accelerated in a non-significant manner. Inflammatory proteins were statistically higher in severe undernutrition (p˂0.001). Serum albumin disturbances were significantly lowered in acute undernutrition (AD, p˂0.001), and not significantly in chronic undernutrition (CD). Transthyretin was significantly lowered in both forms of undernutrition (p˂0.05). Regarding serum protein electrophoresis, only albumin was significantly lowered (p˂0.001), the other fractions being normal. There was no association between undernutrition and HIV.
Conclusion: The dosage of nutritional and inflammatory proteins should be promoted in our health centers for the management of undernutrition.
Key words: C-Reactive Protein, Orosomucoid, Albumin, Transthyretin, undernutrition.