Surface lipid composition in children with protein-calorie malnutrition.

The composition of skin surface lipid has been measured in a group of 21 children with the diagnosis of marasmic-kwashiokor. When compared to the values for healthy children of comparable age, the squalene content was significantly decreased (3.1% +/- 3.2% versus 9.8% +/- 3.6%) and the squalene/wax ester ratio was also significantly decreased (0.57 +/- 0.55 versus 2.13 +/- 0.91). Measurements of skin surface lipid also were made in five of these children after treatment. The altered values reverted towards normal. Since changes in the squalene content and the squalene/wax ester ratio of skin surface lipid can be correlated with other biochemical changes of protein-calorie malnutrition, the analysis of surface lipid, a procedure that is both convenient and non-invasive, can be of use in determining the nutritional status in field studies of malnourished subjects.