title: [Changes in protein repletion markers in undernourished patients receiving enteral nutrition and its relation with energy and nitrogen balance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between the changes in protein repletion indicators and calorie and nitrogen balance in undernourished patients receiving enteral nutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients (11 female, age range 55-85 years old) with an initial serum albumin below 3.5 g/dl or serum transferrin below 200 mg/dl, which received enteral nutrition, were studied. On days one and ten of nutritional support, indirect calorimetry, nitrogen balance and serum levels of albumin, transferrin, pre-albumin and total lymphocyte count were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initial resting energy expenditure was 25.1 +/- 5 Kcal/kg/day (115.4 +/- 20% of that predicted by Harris Benedict equations) and urinary urea nitrogen 5.4 +/- 3.7 g/day. Initial and final nitrogen balances were 66.9 +/- 71 and 81.4 +/- 105.9 mg N/kg/day and mean energy balance throughout the study was +9.0 +/- 7.2 Kcal/kg/day. During the ten days of nutritional support, albumin improved significantly in 0.35 +/- 0.43 g/dl (15.2 +/- 19.8%). Transferrin, pre-albumin and total lymphocyte count did not change significantly. The changes in these last parameters did not correlate with nitrogen or calorie balance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Probably other factors, besides nutritional balances, influence serum protein levels and these may not change despite an adequate nutritional repletion.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrición, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Charlin de G
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kehr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Defilipi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gómez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000652:urine; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000032:analysis; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000628:therapy*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D011228:Prealbumin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014168:Transferrin; D009584:Nitrogen
vernacular_title: Cambios en los marcadores proteicos de repleción nutricional en pacientes desnutridos conn nutrición enteral y su relación con los balances energético y nitrogenado.