Serum Cholinesterase Levels of Central American Children in Relation to Nutritional Status

Abstract

The levels of serum cholinesterase activity were studied in four groups of school children (age seven to twelve) and in five groups of preschool children (age one to six) from different socio-economic and nutritional backgrounds. The following values for school-age children were found: Guatemala upper income urban, 1.12 ± 0.02; Guatemala lower income urban, 1.02 ± 0.02; Nicaragua lower income urban, 1.03 ± 0.04; and Guatemala lower income rural 1.18 ± 0.02. For preschool children the levels obtained were: Guatemala upper income urban, 1.28 ± 0.05; El Salvador lower income urban, 1.20 ± 0.04; Nicaragua lower income urban, 1.10 ± 0.03; Guatemala lower income rural, first group, 1.21 ± 0.06, and second group 1.00 ± 0.02. The cholinesterase activity showed no tendency to be related to the socioeconomic background or the nutritional status of these children. Eighteen children age one to five with the severe protein deficiency of kwashiorkor showed a serum cholinesterase value of 0.30 ± 0.04. It is concluded that serum cholinesterase is not a sensitive measure of protein deficiency and drops only when the deficiency is so severe as to be clinically apparent.