Carnitine status of children receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition: a longitudinal prospective study.

Nine children receiving carnitine-free total parenteral nutrition for 7.2 +/- 2.6 years since birth were prospectively studied for 3 years. Plasma values of total and free carnitine were 50% lower than those of age-matched healthy control subjects (p less than 0.02) but did not decrease further during the 3-year period. No significant abnormalities in free fatty acids, triglycerides, or cholesterol were found. The mean levels of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases and of alkaline phosphatase were slightly increased (p less than 0.02) at the initiation of the study but remained in the same range 3 years later. The low plasma carnitine values appeared to be without clinical consequence after 10 years of carnitine-free total parenteral nutrition.