The relationship between intracellular and extracellular potassium in normal and malnourished subjects as studied in leukocytes

ABSTRACT Summary: Leukocyte potassium has been measured in normal subjects and in malnourished children with and without edema both on admission and during recovery. In nonedematous

malnourished children the potassium content was low (328 mmol/kg dry solids) and took 2–3 weeks of rehabilitation to return to normal (374 mmol/kg dry solids). Leukocytes from edematous

children had normal intracellular potassium values. However, 5 days on a maintenance diet reduced the intracellular potassium in the children with kwashiorkor to a value similar to that

found in marasmus. Plasma potassium was significantly lower in kwashiorkor (3.43) than in marasmus (4.74), The relationship between external potassium and internal potassium in normal

leukocytes was measured (Fig. 1) and the values found in severe malnutrition compared with normal. It was found that in nonedematous malnutrition intracellular potassium was low compared to

the predicted value, whereas in kwashiorkor, although the mean values were normal, no relationship between external potassium and intracellular potassium could be demonstrated. It is

concluded that in the leukocyte malnutrition alters either the passive permeability of the membrane to potassium or the active transport of potassium, or both. Speculation: Intra- and

extracellular potassium are normally related in leukocytes; therefore, the measurement of the relationship between plasma and leukocyte potassium may provide a means of distinguishing

between simple negative balance for potassium and potassium depletion secondary to a disorder of membrane function. SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS ELECTROLYTE DISORDERS IN THE

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access 31 January 2023 ARTICLE PDF AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston, West Indies, Jamaica John

Patrick Authors * John Patrick View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE

THIS ARTICLE Patrick, J. The Relationship between Intracellular and Extracellular Potassium in Normal and Malnourished Subjects as Studied in Leukocytes. _Pediatr Res_ 12, 767–770 (1978).

https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197807000-00005 Download citation * Issue Date: 01 July 1978 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197807000-00005 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the

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Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative KEYWORDS * Kwashiorkor * leukocyte * malnutrition * marasmus * potassium