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Plasma selenium (Se), haemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) were measured in 53 malnourished Sudanese children, age 6-36 months, and 11 children who had tuberculosis. Twelve healthy well-nourished children served as controls. The mean ( ± SD) plasma Se (mg/kg) was 0.05 (0.036), 0.070 (0.040), 0.063 (0.015), 0.73 (0.012), 0.082 (0.014) in children with kwashiorkor/marasmic kwashiorkor (oedematous group), marasmus, tuberculosis and healthy controls. The mean Se level in the various groups showed a significant difference (p < 0.002). Whereas the oedematous group differed significantly from the rest, there was no difference between the means of the marasmic, underweight, tuberculous patients and controls. The mean plasma albumin ( ± SD) in oedematous group was 19.6 (6.6) g/l and ranged between 22.6 (5.0) and 33.1 (3.0) in the other groups. A significant positive correlation was found between plasma Se level, albumin, Hb and PCV (respectively, r = 0.46, p < 0.0001; r = 0.37, p < 0.001; r = 0.36, p < 0.002).

The influence of the size of the antigen in the polysaccharide-enhanced precipitin reaction was investigated. The experiments were carried out by addition of homologous antigens of different molecular sizes (the monomer, dimer and trimer of serum albumin and the monomer and dimer of immunoglobulin G) to the same preparation of antibody in the absence and presence of dextran. Dextran decreased the solubility of the immune complexes to a larger extent when the antigen size increased. This is in accord with the view that the polysaccharide effect is due to steric exclusion.