Serum levels of thyroxine-binding prealbumin, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in protein-energy undernourished children and normal controls without or with associated clinical infections

Abstract

We measured the levels of thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in sera from protein-energy undernourished and control children either without or with associated clinical infections. Levels of TBPA were significantly lower in undernourished than in control children without clinical infections. Mean serum TBPA concentration was also significantly lower in both clinically infected undernourished and control children than in those of the same nutritional status but without overt infections. Significant positive correlations were observed between the concentration of TBPA and the Z-scores of weight for age, height for age, and weight for height in all children without clinical infections, which disappeared in clinically infected children. CRP and IL-6 increased to approximately similar levels in sera from undernourished and control children with overt infections. An inverse correlation between the levels of TBPA and CRP and a significant positive correlation between the concentration of CRP and IL-6 were observed in children with associated clinical infections. Serum IL-6 and TBPA showed a small negative relationship in patients with overt infections. Thus, TBPA is a sensitive marker of undernutrition only in the absence of clinical infections, and the capacity to increase production of IL-6 and CRP during infections is preserved in protein-energy undernutrition.

Efficacy of Serum Prealbumin and CRP Levels as Monitoring Tools for Patients with Fascial Space Infections of Odontogenic Origin: A Clinicobiochemical Study

“…increase due to stimulation of hepatic synthesis, depression of hepatic production of visceral transport proteins (negative acute phase proteins) like albumin, transferring, thyroxin binding prealbumin (TBPA) and retinol binding proteins (RBP) etc. occurs [8].…”

“…However, the presence of infection results in depression of their hepatic production as well as increased passage to the extra vascular space, consequently diminishing their serum levels making them markers for acute phase conditions [8].…”

Impact of protein energy malnutrition on thyroid size in an iodine deficient population of Gujarat (India): Is it an aetiological factor for goiter?

“…Recent studies have shown that nutritional biochemical markers such as thyroxine binding pre albumin (TBPA) show a good relation to WAZ and HAZ scores (19), i.e. TBPA may be a useful marker to assess the effects of nutrition on thyroid size.…”

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Procalcitonin and C-Reactive Protein in Malnourished Children

“…Several authors have suggested that malnutrition does not affect CRP production in response to infections. 33,34 In a study in Malawi, although children with kwashiorkor had reduced rates of protein breakdown and synthesis, their CRP levels were similar to those without kwashiorkor. 35 To our knowledge, only 1 study found that CRP levels in response to infection are lower in malnourished than in wellnourished children.…”