Imunidade humoral e celular de crianças com desnutrição crônica semi-internas no centro de recuperação e educação nutricional, CRE Maceió/AL - 2008

Abstract

The World Health Organization defines protein-energy malnutrition as a range of pathological conditions that appear by a deficient supply, transport or use of nutrients by the body s cells causing an essential amino acid deficiency in DNA and RNA synthesis, which can lead to a substantial immune system impairment. The focus of this research was to evaluate humoral and cellular immunity in children suffering from moderate to severe chronic malnutrition. The cross-sectional study was conducted with children 24-59 months old and 29 days, semi-interned at the Nutritional and Education Recovery Center (CREN), Maceió/AL, suffering from chronic malnutrition. At the same time creating a control group using normal similar aged children, randomly selected enrolled elementary school students from the same community. For data collection a standardized questionnaire was administered to children s parents and guardians addressing the history of infectious diseases. Cellular immunity assessment was performed by counting leukocytes and lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and T and delayed hypersensitivity test. Humoral immunity assessment was determined by immunoglobulins IgA, IgG and IgM in serum and IgG antibody by tetanus toxoid. Nutritional status was determined by the height-for-age (H/A) index. Data analysis used parametric and nonparametric statistics with a significance level (p<0.05). Research participants consisted of 68 children, 34 chronically malnourished and 34 well nourished. Among the malnourished 56% were male versus 47% normal weight, and the (H/A) index ranged from -4.61 to -2.02 in malnourished children versus -0.99 to 1.17 in eutrophic children. The history of airway infections, acute diarrhea, mumps and whooping cough was higher among the malnourished, but there was no statistical difference. The number of leukocytes and lymphocytes was significantly higher in malnourished children (p = 0.00). The number of B and T lymphocytes and delayed hypersensitivity test was not statistically different between the two groups. Serum immunoglobulins IgG and IgA were significantly (p = 0.00) higher among malnourished. Among the malnourished children an apparent decrease of 70.5% of IgG antibodies specific for tetanus toxoid versus 41.2% for normal weight (p = 0.01). Conclusion: There was no humoral and cellular immunity impairment in malnourished children but the number of T lymphocytes was lower and the production of IgG antibodies to tetanus toxoid was significantly lower in severely malnourished children.