Blood glucose, lactate and pyruvate in kwashiorkor

Abstract

1. The blood sugar, lactate and pyruvate levels of sixty-nine Ugandan children, during treatment for kwashiorkor, have been studied. 2. The majority of untreated cases had low levels of blood glucose but high levels of lactate and pyruvate. Children with the lowest glucose levels had the lowest serum protein values and gained weight more slowly. 3. The response of the blood glucose to glucagon or adrenaline was twice as great at the end of treatment as at the beginning. 4. In children whose treatment was successful the lactate and pyruvate levels gradually fell to the normal range. There was a rise in the blood glucose value but after 3 weeks the level was still below that found in normal African children. In a few children who died or whose treatment was complicated by pyrexia and general apathy there was a rapid fall in lactate and pyruvate concentration to abnormally low levels.