Efficacy of parenteral glutamine in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation

Abstract

Autologous bone marrow transplant (ABMT) represents a high metabolic stress. Glutamine has proven to be effective in severe catabolic states, although there are controversial studies. To assess the effect of parenteral nutrition (PN) therapy supplemented with glutamine on the occurrence of mucositis and mean hospital stay in patients submitted to ABMT. Retrospective study of patients submitted to ABMT between 2006 and 2009. In 2008, one vial of L-alanyl-L-glutamine (20 g) was added by protocol to the PN formulations of these patients. Thirteen clinical charts since that date (glutamine group) and 13 previous charts (control group) were randomly selected (n = 26). We compared the degree of mucositis and hospital stay in both groups. In the subgroup of glutamine-treated patients, we compare the glutamine dose in the patients developing some degree of mucositis with that of those not having this complication. Mean hospital stay: 27.8 ± 7.4 days (control group) vs. 20.3 ± 5.3 days (glutamine group) (p = 0.01). The severity of mucositis was lower in the glutaminetreated group (p = 0.02). The weight-adjusted dose of L-alanyl-L-glutamine in the patients not developing mucositis was higher than in the other ones (0.32 vs. 0.24 g/kg/day; p = 0.02). Glutamine supplementation reduces the degree of mucositis and hospital stay in patients submitted to autologous bone marrow transplantation. The degree of mucositis is lower in the subgroup of patients receiving higher doses of glutamine.