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  • Title: Plasma free iron: a possible cause of oedema in kwashiorkor.
    Author: Sive AA, Dempster WS, Malan H, Rosseau S, Heese HD.
    Journal: Arch Dis Child; 1997 Jan; 76(1):54-6. PubMed ID: 9059163.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Oedema is a sine qua non for the diagnosis of kwashiorkor yet the mechanisms leading to oedema remain ill defined. AIMS: To relate the plasma concentration of radical promoting 'free' iron to the degree of oedema in patients with kwashiorkor. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Fifteen children with kwashiorkor, nine of whom had severe and six of whom had a moderate degree of oedema. METHODS: Plasma 'free' iron was measured as bleomycin detectable iron (BDI) and related to severity of oedema and plasma albumin concentration. RESULTS: BDI was significantly higher in the patients with severe oedema (20.5 v 6.75 mumol/l) whereas the albumin concentrations were similar (16 v 17 g/l). BDI was no longer present in any patients 30 days after admission. CONCLUSIONS: 'Free' circulating iron may contribute to the oedema of kwashiorkor, and its sequestration could hasten recovery and decrease morbidity and mortality.
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