Abstract
In order to assess protein-energy malnutrition from the viewpoint of rapid turnover transport proteins and elemental diet therapy, twenty-four patients with Crohn's disease, digestive cancers and miscellaneous diseases received elemental diet ED-AC (Elental) and rapid turnover transport proteins in plasma such as transferrin, retinol-binding protein and prealbumin were measured before and after the elemental diet therapy as compared with serum total proteins and albumin.
Among various plasma proteins, lower levels below the normal ranges for plasma retinol-binding protein were found in 74% of the patients, for serum total proteins in 62%, for plasma transferrin in 58% and for serum albumin in 50% respectively. The rapid turnover transport proteins such as transferrin, retinol-binding protein and prealbumin have the highest and rapid response to the elemental diet therapy.
Therefore, rapid turnover transport proteins were found to be the useful indicators for an assessment of PEM and elemental diet was clarified to be effective against PEM.
