Depletion Of Body Cell Mass Research Articles

Bioimpedance vector analysis and conventional bioimpedance to assess body composition in older adults with dementia

ObjectiveAlthough dementia and nutritional status have been shown to be strongly associated, differences in body composition (BC) among older people with dementia have not yet been firmly established. The aim of this study was to assess BC through conventional and vector bioimpedance analysis (BIA and BIVA, respectively) in a sample of institutionalized older men with and without dementia, in order to detect dementia-related BC changes. MethodsForty-one institutionalized men ages ≥65 y (23 without dementia [CG] and 18 with dementia [DG]) were measured with BIA and interpreted with BIVA and predictive equations. ResultsAge (74.4 and 75.7 y) and body mass index (22.5 and 23.6 kg/m2) were similar for DG and CG, respectively. Resistance and ratio of resistance to height did not differ significantly between the two groups. Reactance and ratio of reactance to height were 21.2% and 20.4% lower in DG than in CG. Phase angle was significantly lower in DG (mean = 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6°–4.3°) than in CG (mean = 4.7; 95% CI, 4.3°–5.1°). Mean fat mass index (6 and 7 kg/m2), and mean fat-free mass index (16.4 and 16.6 kg/m2) were similar in both groups. BIVA showed a significant downward migration of the ellipse in DG with respect to CG (T2 = 15.1; P < 0.01). ConclusionConventional BIA showed no significant differences in BC between DG and CG, although reactance and ratio of reactance to height were about 21% lower in DG. Nevertheless, a body cell mass depletion and an increase in the ratio of extracellular to intracellular water were identified in DG using BIVA. BIVA reflects dementia-related changes in BC better than BIA.

Malnutrition in Patients with AIDS

Malnutrition is a frequent problem in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. The origin of malnutrition in patients with AIDS may be multifactorial. The primary mechanisms include disorders of food intake, alterations in intermediary metabolism, and nutrient malabsorption. Attention to the problems of malnutrition in patients with AIDS is of paramount importance because the timing of death in these patients may be more closely related to degree of body cell mass depletion than to any specific underlying infection. Nutritional support can improve nutritional status in selected patients, and repletion of body cell mass may be associated with functional improvement. Early assessment, attention to nutritional requirements, and prompt intervention can minimize wasting and replete body cell mass. This article examines the evidence for malnutrition in patients with AIDS, reviews the studies of nutritional support, and presents an approach to the management of malnutrition in AIDS.

Interactions of malnutrition and immune impairment, with specific reference to immunity against parasites.

KEY POINTS Clinical malnutrition is a heterogenous group of disorders including macronutrient deficiencies leading to body cell mass depletion and micronutrient deficiencies, and these often coexist with infectious and inflammatory processes and environmental problems.There is good evidence that specific micronutrients influence immunity, particularly zinc and vitamin A. Iron may have both beneficial and deleterious effects depending on circumstances.There is surprisingly slender good evidence that immunity to parasites is dependent on macronutrient intake or body composition.

Enteral nutrition support

Up to 33% of patients who are admitted to hospitals with hronic disease and trauma also present with moderate to evere malnutrition. This results in depletion of body cell mass, rolonged wound healing, and impaired function [1]. Malnurition is defined as unintentional weight loss of more than 10% f an individual’s body weight. It is classified as mild, modrate, or severe based on body mass index, arm muscle cirumference, skin fold thickness, and depletion of visceral proein stores (e.g., albumin, prealbumin, and retinol-binding rotein). The etiology of malnutrition can be subdivided into our continuous types: 1) decrease in nutrient intake (poor diet, ating difficulty) or excessive losses (long-term diarrhea, abormal bleeding, large draining wounds), 2) nutrient store epletion, 3) increased metabolic demand (i.e., hypercataboism), and 4) cell or tissue damage [1,2]. Prolonged starvation leads to deterioration of intestinal ntegrity. Within a few days of complete bowel rest, proressive atrophy and disruption of the intestinal mucosa ccur. With severe protein deficiency, microvilli of the ntestinal mucosa undergo shortening, resulting in generalzed disruption of the surface architecture [3]. Of particular mportance is the amino acid glutamine which is the prinipal metabolic fuel for intestinal epithelial cells [4]. Lack of luminal nutrient substrates followed by mucosal isruption is also associated with the process of bacterial ranslocation. In critically ill patients, prolonged bowel rest ay lead to loss of endothelial architecture and integrity, hereby allowing the enteric pathogens to migrate across the ffected bowel mucosa and into the systemic circulation [5]. he correction and prevention of malnutrition decreases orbidity, hospital stay, mortality rate, and recovery time rom illness [6,7]. Artificial nutritional support refers to the administration f nutrient solutions by enteral or intravenous (parenteral)

Challenges to Diagnosis of HIV-Associated Wasting

There is a wide variability in the clinical presentation of the protein energy malnutrition often characterized as wasting in patients infected with HIV. Moreover, the clinical presentation has evolved over time. Initially, protein energy malnutrition was characterized by profound weight loss and depletion of body cell mass (BCM). Recently, unrelated concurrent metabolic abnormalities, such as lipodystrophy, may complicate the diagnosis of HIV wasting. Although measures of BCM are relatively accurate for the diagnosis of HIV wasting, the optimal tools for assessing BCM are not necessarily available to the clinician. From the practical standpoint, HIV wasting may be a self-evident diagnosis in advanced stages, but effective interpretation of the early signs of HIV wasting requires familiarity with other complications included in the differential diagnosis.

Inflammation rather than nutritional depletion determines glutamine concentrations and intestinal permeability

Aim: Nutritional depletion has been correlated with low plasma and mucosal glutamine concentrations and with increased intestinal permeability. Since nutritional depletion often is associated with (chronic) inflammatory stress, this study was designed to establish the influence of depletion and inflammation on glutamine concentrations and gut barrier function. Methods: Anthropometric parameters were calculated from 26 patients who required artificial nutrition. Glutamine concentrations in plasma and gut mucosa, gut permeability and mucosal morphology were assessed. For determination of the degree of inflammation erythrocyte sedimentation rates and (pre)albumin concentrations were measured. On the basis of these parameters patients were divided into two groups having significant inflammatory stress or not. Similarly, a depleted and a non-depleted group was formed based on percentage ideal body weight, fat-free mass index (FFMI) and percentage weight loss. Glutamine concentrations, gut permeability and villus morphology were compared between the groups. Results: The presence of inflammatory activity had significant negative effects on glutamine concentrations in contrast to the presence or absence of nutritional depletion. Similarly, intestinal permeability increased during active inflammation but not in depleted patients. FFMI but not inflammation was related to villus height. Conclusions: The presence of inflammation significantly affects glutamine concentrations and gut permeability, in contrast to the presence of depletion of body cell mass per se. On the other hand, villus morphology is not influenced by changes in systemic inflammatory activity whereas nutritional status possibly does affect villus height.

Protein Intake Is Positively Associated with Body Cell Mass in Weight-Stable HIV-Infected Men

Depletion of body cell mass (BCM) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients is strongly associated with disease progression and death. Although whole-body protein turnover is increased in HIV infection, it is not known whether protein intake is independently associated with BCM. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations, if any, between protein intake and several body composition variables in 467 weight-stable, HIV-infected men with CD4 <200 cells/mm(3) enrolled in a multicenter nutritional supplementation trial. Baseline BCM, total body fat and extracellular mass as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis, dietary intake (24 h food recall) and muscle building activity assessed by structured interview were analyzed to determine association(s) between body composition variables and macronutrient intake. Multiple regression analysis showed that BCM was positively associated with body weight (P = 0.001), height (P < 0.001), protein intake (P < 0.001), muscle-building activity (P < 0.001) and African-American ethnicity (P < 0.05) and negatively associated with carbohydrate intake (P < 0.05), age (P < 0.001) and number of prior AIDS-related diagnoses (P < 0.001). We conclude that protein intake is associated with increased BCM, whereas carbohydrate intake is negatively associated with BCM in HIV-infected men, independently of muscle building activity.

Nutritional alterations associated with HIV infection.

Nutritional alterations are common in HIV infection. Early studies documented weight loss and protein depletion, a finding associated with body cell mass depletion in untreated patients. The application of highly active antiretroviral therapy has led to a decreased incidence of malnutrition, although altered body fat distribution and metabolic alterations, including hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance, are common sequelae. The development of malnutrition is multifactorial and occurs through changes in caloric intake, nutrient absorption, or energy expenditure. Clinically, malnutrition develops as a result of either starvation or cachexia. Other hormonal and endocrinologic alterations include hypercortisolemia and hypogonadism. The rationale for providing nutritional support to AIDS patients is based upon the assumptions that nutrition status can be improved and that such improvements have clinical benefits. The results of hypercaloric feeding studies, including the use of appetite stimulants, indicate that weight gain is possible but that the weight gained is predominantly fat. In contrast, anabolic agents and resistance training exercise have been shown to promote body cell mass repletion and skeletal muscle gain. Cytokine inhibitors also have been evaluated for the treatment of wasting in HIV infection. Development of combination therapies, preventive therapies, and efficient and cost-effective therapies are current tasks in the field.

Utility of standard nutritional parameters in detecting body cell mass depletion in patients with end-stage liver disease.

Protein-calorie malnutrition, best measured by body cell mass (BCM) depletion, has been associated with adverse outcomes in patients with end-stage liver disease. We prospectively measured BCM and multiple standard nutritional parameters in patients with end-stage liver disease to determine which, if any, of the traditionally measured nutritional parameters correlate with BCM. A detailed nutritional assessment, including BCM analysis, subjective global assessment, anthropometry, handgrip dynamometry, laboratory tests, and body composition measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed in 69 sequential patients awaiting liver transplantation. The frequency of abnormalities of specific parameters of nutritional status varied between 19% and 99%. Most of the commonly measured parameters of nutritional status correlated poorly with BCM. Patients with depleted BCM (lowest quartile for sex) had midarm circumference (P <.01), arm-muscle circumference (P <.001), handgrip strength (P <.001), blood urea nitrogen (P <.01), and creatinine (P <.01) values less than those for patients with greater BCM (highest 3 quartiles for sex). In multivariate analysis, arm-muscle circumference and handgrip strength were the best predictors of BCM. The combined criteria of handgrip strength less than 30 kg and arm-muscle circumference less than 23 cm have a sensitivity of 94% and a negative predictive value of 97% in identifying patients with depleted BCM. Although abnormalities of nutritional parameters are highly prevalent among patients with end-stage liver disease, most parameters of nutritional status do not correlate with BCM. In patients with end-stage liver disease, arm-muscle circumference and handgrip strength are the most sensitive markers of BCM depletion.

Psychological and physical health correlates of body cell mass depletion among HIV+ men

Objective: To assess whether significant body cell mass depletion related to HIV is associated with declines in physical health and psychological well-being. Methods: As part of a 2-year prospective HIV study, semiannual assessments included measures of body composition, psychological status, and physical health. Results: As measured by bioelectric impedance analysis, 58 (31%) of 187 enrolled HIV+ men had significant body cell mass depletion at some point during the study, of who 23 subsequently lost at least an additional 5% of body cell mass in the 6 months between any two consecutive study visits. This additional body cell mass depletion was associated with significant increase in fatigue, global distress and depressive symptomatology, and reduced life satisfaction. Conclusion: These data illuminate the importance of monitoring body weight and body cell mass, and the need for awareness of the association between malnutrition, mental health, and quality of life.

Body composition studies in HIV-infected individuals.

Malnutrition is common in HIV infection. Early studies demonstrated a disproportionate depletion of body cell mass compared to body weight, plus relative expansion of extracellular water volume. Neutron activation studies showed that both potassium and nitrogen were depleted in the HIV+ subjects, whereas cross-sectional imaging documented depletion of skeletal muscle mass. The etiology of malnutrition affects the composition of lost weight. Malnutrition is associated with adverse outcomes, whereas clinical stability is associated with nutritional stability. Increasingly, body composition studies are being incorporated into clinical trials. Hypercaloric feeding promotes gains in weight and body fat, but not in lean mass. Adjunctive therapies include anabolic agents, both steroids and recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), cytokine inhibitors, and resistance training exercise. In addition to increasing fat-free mass, these therapies also have benefits in quality of life, notably functional performance, as well as physical function. Current research on alterations in body composition in HIV have noted a redistribution of fat, with visceral obesity in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapies.

Nutritional Effects and Support in the Patient with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ,

Studies of body composition in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients demonstrated body cell mass depletion out of proportion to losses of body weight or fat. The timing of death from wasting was related to the extent rather than the specific cause. However, some patients remain stable for indefinite periods, indicating that wasting is not a constant phenomenon. The development of malnutrition is multifactorial and includes disorders of food intake, nutrient absorption and intermediary metabolism. Nutritional repletion has been demonstrated in several studies. The effect of treating infections that promote wasting was shown in a study of ganciclovir therapy for cytomegalovirus colitis, in which untreated patients underwent progressive wasting whereas treated patients repleted body mass. Total parenteral nutrition had a variable effect upon body composition, with repletion occurring in patients with eating disorders or malabsorption syndromes and progressive depletion occurring in patients with serious systemic infections. Enteral nutrition also can replete body mass in AIDS patients without severe malabsorption. Pharmacologic stimulation of appetite also may lead to weight gain. The results of these studies indicate that nutritional support can improve nutritional status in properly selected AIDS patients.

Circulating interferon-α levels and hypertriglyceridemia in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

The metabolic disturbances seen during infection are thought to be due to cytokines, modulators of the immune response. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is characterized by a high prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia and at times depletion of body cell mass (wasting). Elevated circulating levels of cytokines have also been reported in AIDS. Therefore, we determined the relationship between circulating cytokine levels and lipid levels and between circulating cytokine levels and wasting in AIDS and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Serum samples from 45 patients with AIDS, 13 subjects with evidence of HIV infection by presence of antibody but without AIDS (HIV positive), and 17 seronegative control subjects who had previously undergone body composition analysis were analyzed for triglyceride, cholesterol, interferon, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin-1 levels. Eleven subjects with AIDS or HIV infection had sequential measurements. Interferon was analyzed by bioassay with identification using specific antibodies. TNF and interleukin-1 were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lean body mass was assessed by total body potassium. Serum interferon-alpha levels were significantly elevated in patients with AIDS (p less than 0.001 compared to controls), with detectable levels in 84% of AIDS patients. Interferon-alpha was not detectable in serum from controls, while three of 13 HIV-positive subjects had detectable interferon-alpha levels. There was a significant correlation between interferon-alpha levels and serum triglyceride levels in AIDS and HIV-positive patients (R = 0.446, p less than 0.002). There was no relationship between interferon-alpha and serum cholesterol levels (R = -0.039, NS). In contrast only 11% of AIDS patients had detectable circulating TNF levels; the mean value for and the prevalence of detectable serum TNF levels were not significantly different from those of control subjects. Interleukin-1 was not detected in the circulation. There was no correlation between the presence of circulating TNF and serum triglycerides. There was no relationship between circulating interferon-alpha or TNF levels and the presence of wasting as measured by total body potassium. These studies suggest that interferon-alpha, which has previously been shown to modulate lipid metabolism in vivo and in vitro, may be responsible for the hypertriglyceridemia found in AIDS.

Circulating interferon-α levels and hypertriglyceridemia in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

purpose: The metabolic disturbances seen during infection are thought to be due to cytokines, modulators of the immune response. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is characterized by a high prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia and at times depletion of body cell mass (wasting). Elevated circulating levels of cytokines have also been reported in AIDS. Therefore, we determined the relationship between circulating cytokine levels and lipid levels and between circulating cytokine levels and wasting in AIDS and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. patients and methods: Serum samples from 45 patients with AIDS, 13 subjects with evidence of HIV infection by presence of antibody but without AIDS (HIV positive), and 17 seronegative control subjects who had previously undergone body composition analysis were analyzed for triglyceride, cholesterol, interferon, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin-1 levels. Eleven subjects with AIDS or HIV infection had sequential measurements. Interferon was analyzed by bioassay with identification using specific antibodies. TNF and interleukin-1 were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Lean body mass was assessed by total body potassium. results: Serum interferon-α levels were significantly elevated in patients with AIDS (p <0.001 compared to controls), with detectable levels in 84% of AIDS patients. Interferon-α was not detectable in serum from controls, while three of 13 HIV-positive subjects had detectable interferon-α levels. There was a significant correlation between interferon-α levels and serum triglyceride levels in AIDS and HIV-positive patients (R = 0.446, p <0.002). There was no relationship between interferon-α and serum cholesterol levels (R = -0.039, NS). In contrast only 11% of AIDS patients had detectable circulating TNF levels, the mean value for and the prevalence of detectable serum TNF levels were not significantly different from those of control subjects. Interleukin-1 was not detected in the circulation. There was no correlation between the presence of circulating TNF and serum triglycerides. There was no relationship between circulating interferon-α or TNF levels and the presence of wasting as measured by total body potassium. conclusion: These studies suggest that interferon-α, which has previously been shown to modulate lipid metabolism in vivo and in vitro, may be responsible for the hypertriglyceridemia found in AIDS.

Magnitude of body-cell-mass depletion and the timing of death from wasting in AIDS

The impact of malnutrition on survival in AIDS was evaluated by examining the magnitude of body-cell-mass depletion as a function of time from death. Body cell mass was estimated as total body-potassium content and determined by whole-body counting. There was progressive depletion of body cell mass as patients neared death. The extrapolated and observed values for body cell mass at death were 54% of normal. Body weight had a similar relationship to death, with a projected body weight at death of 66% of ideal. We conclude that death from wasting in AIDS is related to the magnitude of tissue depletion and is independent of the underlying cause of wasting. The degree of wasting seen in this study is similar to historical reports of semistarvation, with or without associated infections. This observation suggests that successful attempts to maintain body mass could prolong survival in patients with AIDS.

Hypertriglyceridemia in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

purpose: A relationship between the induction of hypertriglyceridemia by cytokines and the cachexia seen in chronic infection has been proposed by other investigators. Since patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) often experience progressive tissue wasting, we decided to examine serum lipid levels and body cell mass in patients with AIDS. patients and methods: Serum lipid levels and body cell mass were measured in 32 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), eight asymptomatic subjects who were anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody positive, and 17 heterosexual and homosexual control subjects who did not have antibodies to HIV. results: Mean triglyceride concentrations and the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (50 percent) were significantly increased in patients with AIDS compared with control subjects (p <0.002 and p <0.005, respectively), whereas the mean triglyceride levels of HIV-positive subjects were intermediate. There were no differences in cholesterol levels among the three groups. Using total body potassium adjusted for height and age (KHT) as a measure of body cell mass, 16 of 32 patients with AIDS but none of the HIV-positive or control subjects had significant depletion of body cell mass. There was no direct relationship between triglyceride levels and KHT among AIDS or HIV-positive subjects. In patients with AIDS, mean triglyceride levels and the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia were similar in the presence and absence of wasteing. conclusion: Hypertriglyceridemia is a common finding in AIDS and is independent of the degree of wasting.