Values for Copper, Iron and Iron-Binding Capacity in the Serum in Kwashiorkor

The results of a study of 10 Guatemalan children with kwashiorkor indicate that the concentration of copper in serum is substantially reduced and that hypoferremia and a reduction in the iron-binding capacity of serum occur as well. Although the possibility that a dietary deficiency of copper occurs concomitantly with deficiencies of protein and other nutrients is not eliminated, comparison of these biochemical abnormalities with those noted in experimental animals suggests that the changes are secondary to inadequate protein intake.