title: [Protein malnutrition in pediatric patients with oncologic diseases].
abstract: To study the frequency of protein-caloric malnutrition in children (n = 16) with malignant diseases, we measured serum-albumin, -transferrin, -prealbumin and -retinol-binding protein (Radial immunodiffusion) before treatment was started. In 9 children at least 3 of the 4 rapid-turnover proteins were below the age-specific reference values. 7 patients (44%) with low rapid turnover proteins were free from infection, liver and renal dysfunction and thus, diagnosis of protein-caloric malnutrition was established. Anthropometric parameters as weight for age and the weight/height ratio did not predict protein-caloric malnutrition. Nutritional therapy (enteral, parenteral) during a period of 2 weeks resulted in significant increase of albumin (p less than 0.05), prealbumin (p less than 0.01) and retinol-binding protein (p less than 0.01). Rapid turnover proteins can be easily measured in each laboratory and are useful in diagnosis and treatment of protein-caloric malnutrition of children with malignant diseases as long as the limitations of this method are not neglected.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000150:complications; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000378:metabolism; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D011228:Prealbumin; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014168:Transferrin
vernacular_title: Protein-Malnutrition bei pädiatrischen Patienten mit onkologischen Erkrankungen.