Significance of rapid turnover proteins in protein-losing gastroenteropathy.
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.
Takeda
Hiroaki
H
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
Ishihama
Katsuyoshi
K
Fukui
Tadahisa
T
Fujishima
Shoichiro
S
Orii
Tomohiko
T
Nakazawa
Yuichi
Y
Shu
Hong-Jin
HJ
Kawata
Sumio
S
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*
C020932:11-cis-retinal-binding protein; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011228:Prealbumin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014168:Transferrin