CD95 expression in white blood cells of malnourished infants during hospitalization and catch-up growth

Malnutrition continues to be a major health burden in developing countries. Flow cytometric estimation of the apoptotic marker CD95 in peripheral neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes was done for 18 infants with non-oedematous protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and 12 oedematous ones, on hospital admission and after supervised nutritional rehabilitation, and compared with 12 matched controls. CD95 counts in the 3 types of white blood cells were significantly higher in PEM infants and showed improvement after nutritional rehabilitation yet not reaching the control values. Enhanced apoptosis in the leukocytes of peripheral blood of PEM patients may be a marker of increased infection and immune disturbances. This derangement reverses upon proper nutritional rehabilitation.