Premium
In Vitro Leukocyte Endogenous Mediator Production Is Not Impaired following Surgical Stress in Moderately Malnourished Patients
Author(s) -
Duncan John L.,
Moldawer Lyle L.,
Bistrian Bruce R.,
Blackburn George L.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1941-2444
pISSN - 0148-6071
DOI - 10.1177/0148607184008002174
Subject(s) - malnutrition , medicine , endogeny , mediator , calorie , starvation , surgical stress , immunology , endocrinology
Leukocyte endogenous mediator (LEM), a protein produced by phagocytizing cells, plays a critical role in the metabolic response to injury and infection. There is an important interaction between protein‐calorie malnutrition and the capacity of cells to produce LEM, since severely malnourished or severely stressed individuals, have a reduced capacity to produce LEM. The leukocytes of 10 mildly to moderately malnourished patients undergoing elective major surgery, a moderate stress, had an intact ability to produce LEM on preoperative assessment. This ability was not affected by a 5‐day postoperative period of hypocaloric nutrient intake despite a significant loss of body protein in one‐half of the patients and a significant fall in serum protein concentrations. These results suggest a high biologic priority for LEM production during the metabolic response to injury and for infection. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 8:174–177, 1984)