[Evaluation of oxidative stress and antioxidant defences in malnourished Moroccan children].

In Morocco, malnutrition is a public health problem. Indeed, 25% of 6- to 60-month-old children suffer from malnutrition. Imbalance between antioxidant protection and prooxidant stress has been reported to accurately predict the survival of malnourished children. Therefore, we determined blood antioxidant vitamins (retinol, alpha-tocopherol and carotenoids), trace elements (serum zinc, copper and selenium) and enzymes (erythrocyte Se glutathione peroxydase and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase) as well as blood oxidative stress index [ferritine, thiobarbituric-acid reactants (TBARS)] in 21 children suffering from severe malnutrition, 15 children suffering from mild malnutrition and in 20 healthy control children. Selenium, retionol, alpha-tocopherol and carotenoids were significantly decreased in malnourished children. These decreases were related to the severity of malnutrition. Moreover, the percentage of vitamin and trace element concentrations under deficient cutoff were high in malnourished children. On the contrary, TBARS, ferritin and prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) were significantly increased in malnourished children. Except for TBARS, these increases were related to the severity of malnutrition. On the other hand, blood retional, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and selenium were negatively related to alpha 1-acid glycoprotein. Blood beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, carotenes and copper were positively related to weight. Finally, blood lutein/zeaxanthin and copper were positively related to height. These results confirm the imbalance between antioxidant protective factors and oxidative stress index in malnourished children. Moreover, the decrease in antioxidant protective factors is related to inflammation or stature. These results suggest that antioxidant micronutrient supplementation of the refeeding diet could be required in the nutritional rehabilitation of malnourished children.