title: Significance of rapid turnover proteins in protein-losing gastroenteropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the significance of rapid turnover proteins (retinal-binding protein, pre-albumin and transferrin) in protein-losing gastroenteropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the levels of these proteins in 12 patients with protein-losing gastroenteropathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The protein-losing gastroenteropathy patients showed very low level of total serum protein of 4.3 +/- 0.7 g/dL, albumin 2.1 +/- 0.4 g/dL, and IgG 682 +/- 232 mg/dL. However, retinal-binding protein was 4.4 +/- 1.9 mg/dL (normal range; 2.5-8.0 mg/dL), pre-albumin 29.3 +/- 7.9 mg/dL (21-43 mg/dL) and transferrin 226 +/- 62 mg/dL (205-370 mg/dL). The levels of rapid turnover proteins, particularly retinal-binding protein and pre-albumin were almost preserved within the normal range, despite hypoproteinemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If there is a patient with severe hypoproteinemia and preserved levels of rapid turnover proteins, protein-losing gastroenteropathy should be suspected and we get a strong proof to do the following examinations such as a fecal clearance of alpha-1 antitrypsin.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan. htakeda@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Katsuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishihama
authors.forename: Tadahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Shoichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujishima
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Orii
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: Hong-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawata
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011504:Protein-Losing Enteropathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C020932:11-cis-retinal-binding protein; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011228:Prealbumin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014168:Transferrin