Serum nitric oxide and acetylcholinesterase levels in children with functional dyspepsia and their relationship with nutritional status.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) in children with functional dyspepsia (FD) and their association with nutritional status. METHODS: Clinical data from 165 children with FD attending Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Serum NO, AchE, pre-albumin (PA), transferrin (TRF), and retinol-binding protein (RBP) were measured. Correlations between serum NO, AchE, PA, TRF and RBP were analyzed. Risk factors for malnutrition in children with FD were identified. RESULTS: Among the 165 children, 108 had normal nutrition, 18 had overnutrition, and 39 had malnutrition. The serum NO level in the malnutrition group was much higher than those in normal nutrition group and over nutrition group, while AchE, PA, TRF and RBP were much lower (P < 0.05 for all). In the malnutrition group, serum NO level was negatively correlated with PA (r = -0.825, P = 0.019), TFN (r = -0.781, P = 0.007), and RBP (r = -0.799, P = 0.005), whereas serum AchE was positively correlated with PA (r = 0.741, P = 0.022), TFN (r = 0.762, P = 0.011), and RBP (r = 0.783, P = 0.030). Age, Helicobacter Pylori (HP) infection, and living with parents were identified as influencing factors for malnutrition, with the area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.602, 0.768, 0.633, respectively. CONCLUSION: Serum NO and AchE levels are closely associated with nutritional status in children with FD. HP positivity shows predictive value for malnutrition and may serve as a potential target for clinical intervention.