INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DIETARY-PROTEIN, IMMUNOGLOBULIN LEVELS, HUMORAL IMMUNE-RESPONSES, AND GROWTH IN NEW-GUINEAN SCHOOLCHILDREN

Abstract

A daily dietary supplement of 25 g protein (as skim milk powder) was fed to a group of 30 growth retarded prepubertal children attending the boarding school in Bundi, New Guinea. A control group of 24 growth retarded children received only the normal school diet. At 7 mth all children were immunized with flagellin from Salmonella adelaide; specific antibody responses were measured over the ensuing 6 wk and total immunoglobulin levels were also measured. Growth was assessed at 8 mth. Increments in height and weight and antibody responses to flagellin were significantly greater in children receiving the skim milk supplement than in those receiving the normal school diet whereas levels of total..