Serum amino acid concentrations in infants from Malawi are associated with linear growth

Authors: ORDIZ, M - Washington University; SEMBA, RICHARD - Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine; MOADDEL, RUIN - National Institute On Aging (NIA, NIH); ROLLE-KAMPCZYK, ULRIKE - Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research; VON BERGEN, MARTIN - Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research; HERBERTH, GUNDA - Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research; KHADEER, MOHAMMED - National Institute On Aging (NIA, NIH); RODER, STEFAN - Helmholtz Centre For Environmental Research; MANARY, MARK - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Current Developments in Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/27/2019
Publication Date: 8/29/2019
Citation: Ordiz, M.I., Semba, R.D., Moaddel, R., Rolle-Kampczyk, U., Von Bergen, M., Herberth, G., Khadeer, M., Roder, S., Manary, M.J. 2019. Serum amino acid concentrations in infants from Malawi are associated with linear growth. Current Developments in Nutrition. 3(10):nzz100. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz100.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz100

Interpretive Summary: Amino acids (AA) are the dietary building blocks for proteins in the body. This study was an analysis of Malawian infants who were given a small amount of AA-rich legume daily and in whom body growth and blood AA levels were measured. The results did indicate links between how quickly the child got longer or taller and AA concentration levels and suggest that testing this further is needed.

Technical Abstract: Serum amino acid (AA) concentrations are correlated with childhood stunting, but their relation to linear growth velocity has not been explored. This was a secondary analysis of a clinical trial where Malawian infants aged 6-12 mo were given a legume supplement providing 8.2 g/d of protein; anthropometry was conducted at multiple intervals, and fasted serum AA concentrations were measured at 12 mo of age. Lysine, proline, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine concentrations were higher in infants with a linear growth velocity z-score >0 than those <0. Corrected Spearman correlation coefficients between individual AA concentrations and weight-for-height and length velocity from 6 to 12 mo of age were positively correlated for glycine, isoleucine, proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, and valine. Additionally, weight-for-height was correlated with arginine, asparagine, glutamine, leucine, lysine, methionine, and phenylalanine. The observed associations suggest that testing the hypothesis that essential AA provision will reduce linear growth faltering is warranted.