The relationship between red cell glutathione and hepatic steatosis in malnourished Jamaican children - abstract

ABSTRACT

Low levels of red cell glutathione (a scavenger of free radicals) have been previously shown to correlate well with the presence of oedema in malnourished children. We addressed the possibility that they may also correlate with the extent of hepatic steatosis. Thirty-three children were studied on three occasions - on admission, in early weight gain and at discharge. Ultrasonography was used to assess hepatic fat. The oedematous children had significantly more hepatic fat on admission than the non-oedmatous (p<0.01), but no child had a normal ultrasound. We found a significant inverse relationship (r = -0.53, p<0.001) between hepatic fat and the level of red cell glutathione that disappeared over time. We conclude that, firstly, hepatic steatosis occurs commmonly in even non-oedematous malnourished children. Secondly, this is associated with low levels of glutathione which may have aetiological implications (AU)