Apparent hypocalcaemia in Nigerian children with kwashiorkor.

Thirty children with kwashiorkor had a mean +/- SEM plasma calcium (Ca) of 7.15 +/- 0.10mg/100ml; total proteins (TP) of 4.60 +/- 0.17g/100ml and albumin (A) of 1.89 +/- 0.11g/100ml. These values are significantly lower (p < 0.001) than the corresponding values of 9.07 +/- 0.10; 7.30 +/- 0.11 and 3.85 +/- 0.07 observed in thirty other age-matched normal controls. No significant differences exist in the plasma alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels in both groups. Correction of calcium for hypoalbuminaemia in the kwashiorkor group revealed that the observed hypocalcaemia in kwashiorkor is merely apparent.