title: Thymulin activity during very-low-calorie diet.
abstract: The potential use of thymulin levels as a sensitive and functional marker of energy deficiency was investigated in 13 obese women during a 3-week very-low-calorie diet. Mean weight loss was 8.92 +/- 0.52 kg after 21 days of treatment. The patients were free from infection as assessed by serum orosomucoid and C-reactive protein measurements. Serum albumin levels were not decreased throughout the experiment whereas transthyretin concentrations fell significantly during the first 2 weeks and remained fairly stable thereafter. Orosomucoid levels dropped only after 3 weeks of dieting. Serum zinc concentrations were within the normal range on admission and at the end of the experiment. Thymulin activity was not altered throughout the study, suggesting that this thymic hormone cannot be used as a functional marker of short-term energy restriction.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U 1, Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bleiberg-Daniel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fricker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dardenne
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chappuis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Apfelbaum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000737:chemistry; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000592:standards*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy*; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000737:chemistry; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000737:chemistry; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009961:Orosomucoid; D011228:Prealbumin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating