Serum Carotene Research Articles

Immunologic and other biological parameters as a function of smoking status and of residence in areas differing in terms of air pollution

In the industrial region of La Louvière (Belgium), healthy persons, presenting at a consultation of preventive medicine, showed differences as a function of smoking and of residence in one of four areas differing in sources of emissions, population density and green zones. Smokers had significantly (P⩽0.05) more leukocytes μl−1, neutrophils μl−1, CD3+ lymphocytes (lys) μl−1, CD4+ lys μl−1, CD25+ lys μl−1, higher CD4/CD8 ratio's and higher carcino-embryonic antigen serum levels but significantly lower IgG immunoglobulin and serum carotene levels than non-smokers. Compared to persons living in the 'Peripheral area', and after correction for sex, smoking status and age, persons living in the more polluted areas showed significantly more CD3+CD56+ lys μl−1. Although about the same mean value for the CD4/CD8 ratio was found for the more polluted areas, a higher percentage of their residents showed a ratio that was either <1 or ⩾̸2.25, significantly so for the Power Station-Landfill area. A non-significant but consistent trend towards higher lymphocyte and CD8 lys counts and higher complement C3c serum levels further suggested an association between residence in a more polluted area and immunologic features. The number of CD3+CD56+ lys μl−1, reported to be increased in cancer patients, showed a negative correlation with the CD4/CD8 ratio (r 2=0.132, P<0.0001).

Anti-oxidant vitamins and steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome in Indian children.

In recent years, it has been proposed that nephrotic syndrome is a consequence of an imbalance between oxidant and anti-oxidant activity. In the present study, the levels of micronutrient anti-oxidant vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin C, carotene and riboflavin) in Indian children with steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome were investigated. Their levels were measured during the acute proteinuric phase of the disease, as well as during clinical recovery (remission), in order to understand the possible role of nutritionally modifiable anti-oxidants in the aetiopathogenesis of the disease. The study was a hospital based, prospective cohort study. Serum and erythrocyte vitamin E, leucocyte vitamin C, serum carotene, erythrocyte riboflavin activity and serum malonyldialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in 30 consecutive cases of children with nephrotic syndrome (International Study of Kidney Diseases in Children (ISKDC) criteria) during the proteinuric phase of the disease and at 4 weeks after remission was induced by steroid therapy. The same biochemical parameters were measured in healthy siblings (controls) of the 30 patients. Mean vitamin E (serum and erythrocyte), vitamin C and carotene were significantly lower during the proteinuric phase of the disease, and there was decreased erythrocyte riboflavin activity. There was significant elevation in the serum level of MDA during this phase. In addition, all these parameters tended to improve during remission, although complete normalization did not occur. These vitamins were active in performing their anti-oxidant function, as indicated by significant depression in their levels during the acute (proteinuric) phase, followed by partial recovery during remission. It may be concluded that steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome in children is associated with oxidative stress.

Urinary tea polyphenols in relation to gastric and esophageal cancers: a prospective study of men in Shanghai, China.

Experimental studies have shown that tea and tea polyphenols have anticarcinogenic properties. There have been no prospective investigations examining the relationship between tea polyphenols and cancer risk using validated biomarkers. In the present study, a nested case-control study design was used to investigate the association between prediagnostic urinary tea polyphenol markers and subsequent risk of gastric and esophageal cancers. One hundred and ninety incident cases of gastric cancer and 42 cases of esophageal cancer occurring in members of the Shanghai Cohort (18 244 men aged 45-64 years at recruitment with up to 12 years of follow-up) were compared with 772 cohort control subjects. The control subjects were individually matched to the index cases by age, month and year of sample collection, and neighborhood of residence (case-control ratio = 1:3 for gastric cancer, 1:5 for esophageal cancer). Urinary tea polyphenols, including epigallocatechin (EGC) and epicatechin (EC), and their respective metabolites 5-(3',4',5'-trihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone (M4) and 5-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-gamma-valerolactone (M6), were measured in all study subjects by means of a validated assay. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated from logistic regression models. After exclusion of cases diagnosed under 4 years follow-up, urinary EGC positivity showed a statistically significant inverse association with gastric cancer (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.28-0.97) after adjustment for Helicobactor pylori seropositivity, smoking, alcohol drinking, and level of serum carotenes. The protective effect was primarily seen among subjects with low (below population median) serum carotenes. The odds ratio for EGC positivity was 0.49 (95% CI = 0.26-0.94) among subjects with low serum carotenes while the corresponding odds ratio among subjects with higher levels of serum carotenes was 1.02 (95% CI = 0.46-2.28). Similar tea polyphenol-cancer risk associations were observed when the gastric cancer and esophageal cancer sites were combined. The present study provides direct evidence that tea polyphenols may act as chemopreventive agents against gastric and esophageal cancer development.

Serum and breast-milk vitamin A in women during lactation in rural Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Vitamin A deficiency can occur during lactation and breast-milk vitamin A has been recommended for monitoring the vitamin A status of lactating women and their infants. This study aimed to investigate the vitamin A status of lactating women in relation to race, age, parity, duration of lactation and anthropometric status. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 262 lactating women in rural Chiang Mai, Thailand. Blood and breast-milk samples were collected. Serum retinol, carotene and breast-milk retinol concentrations were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results show that mean serum retinol and breast-milk retinol in hill tribes were significantly lower than in Thais, 1.91 (0.59) and 0.79 (0.52) compared with 2.10 (0.51) and 1.04 (0.58) mumol/L, respectively. Mean serum retinol and breast-milk retinol were highest during the 1st 3 months of lactation. Maternal age, parity and anthropometric status (BMI) were not associated with serum or breast-milk retinol concentrations. There was a significant relationship between serum and breast-milk retinol values in women who breastfed for 6 months or longer (regression co-efficients 0.30; 95% CI 0.16, 0.43). Breast-milk retinol levels declined significantly from 4 to 12 months after delivery, which could increase the risk of vitamin A deficiency in children who were exclusively breastfed or receiving inappropriate complementary foods during this period. Weaning foods which commence at 6 months and have an adequate vitamin A content should ensure that the vitamin A status of the young child is maintained.

Low serum carotene level and increased risk of ischemic heart disease related to long-term arsenic exposure

To elucidate the association between arsenic-related ischemic heart disease (ISHD) and serum antioxidant micronutrient level, residents aged 30 or older living in arseniasis-hyperendemic villages in Taiwan were recruited in a community-based health survey. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain a history of long-term exposure to arsenic through consuming artesian well water and fasting serum samples were also collected at the recruitment. A total of 74 patients affected with ISHD, who were diagnosed through both electrocardiography and Rose questionnaire interview, and 193 age-sex-matched healthy controls were selected for the examination of serum levels of micronutrients by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There was a significant biological gradient between the risk of ISHD and the duration of consuming high-arsenic artesian well water. A significant reverse dose-response relationship with arsenic-related ISHD was observed for serum level of alpha- and beta-carotene, but not for serum levels of retinol, lycopene and alpha-tocopherol. Multivariate analysis showed a synergistic interaction on arsenic-related ISHD between duration of consuming artesian well water and low serum carotene level. An increased risk of arsenic-related ISHD was also associated with hypertension and elevated body mass index, but not with serum lipid profile, cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking. The findings seem to suggest that arsenic-related ISHD has a pathogenic mechanism which is at least partially different from that of ISHD unrelated to long-term exposure to arsenic.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism following biliopancreatic diversion.

To investigate the cause of osteomalacia following biliopancreatic diversion(BPD) surgery for obesity. A retrospective, case-comparison study. A tertiary care center. A case group of 12 subjects (including 9 women; mean age +/- SEM, 48.5 +/- 3.0 years; mean preoperative body mass index +/- SEM, 43.7 +/- 2.3 kg/m2, and mean weight loss +/- SEM, 75 +/- 14 kg) who have undergone BPD (referred to as BPD group hereafter) and a comparison group of 10 subjects (including 9 women; mean age +/- SEM, 49.6 +/- 3.3 years; mean preoperative body mass index +/- SEM, 44.0 +/- 2.5 kg/m2; and mean weight loss +/- SEM, 55 +/- 15 kg) following vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) (referred to as VBG group hereafter). Serum and urine markers for bone metabolism. Compared with the VBG group, the BPD group had significantly lower concentrations of the following components: serum calcium (2.14 +/- 0.05 mmol/L vs 2.37 +/- 0.05 mmol/L [8.6 +/- 0.2 mg/dL vs 9.5 +/- 0.2 mg/dL]), serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (24 +/- 6 nmol/L vs 64 +/- 6 nmol/L), urine calcium excretion (1.7 +/- 0.7 mmol/d vs 4.5 +/- 0.7 mmol/d [68 +/- 28 mg/d vs 180 +/- 28 mg/d]), and serum carotene (0.40 +/- 0.15 mmol/L vs 1.29 +/- 0.16 mmol/L). The BPD group had significantly higher concentrations of the following components: serum parathyroid hormone (13.6 +/- 2.1 pmol/L vs 5.2 +/- 2.3 pmol/L), serum alkaline phosphatase (139 +/- 8 U/L vs 86 +/- 9 U/L), and urinary hydroxyproline/creatine (52 +/- 5 mumol/mmol vs 19 +/- 5 mumol/mmol). These data suggest that following BPD, secondary hyperparathyroidism attributed to hypocalcemia results from malabsorption of vitamin D. However, we cannot exclude the possibility of concurrent calcium malabsorption with vitamin D malabsorption.

Serum carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C levels in breast cancer and cancer of the uterine cervix.

Levels of carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C measured in the serum of patients with cancer of the breast and uterine cervix were compared with levels in healthy controls and patients with benign diseases of the breast and cervix. Serum ascorbate levels were significantly lower in patients with benign diseases of the breast and cervix than in controls. In cancer patients, there was a significant trend of lower serum vitamin levels with increasing stage of the disease.

A study of malabsorption in pancreatic cancer.

The type, incidence, and severity of malabsorption in patients with pancreatic cancer were investigated. The following absorption tests were performed; pancreatic function diagnostant (PFD) test, measurement of serum carotene levels, and 5 g D-xylose absorption test. Rates of abnormality in the tests were 75.7% of 37, 54.2% of 48, and 54% of 50 patients with pancreatic cancer, respectively. In particular, a marked decrease of values in the xylose absorption test was characteristic and more often recognized in patients with carcinoma of the pancreas with occlusion of the superior mesenteric vein. The presence of malabsorption (disturbed transport through the portal vein), in addition to maldigestion of nutrients, is suggested to induce severe malnutrition in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Changes in plasma fatty acid profile in Japanese patients with chronic pancreatitis.

The serum zinc, prealbumin, retinol-binding protein and carotene concentrations and the plasma fatty acid composition were determined to assess the nutritional condition of 24 patients with chronic pancreatitis compared with that of 20 healthy controls. The daily food intake and faecal fat excretion of the two groups were also measured. In the chronic pancreatitis group, the calorie and fat intakes were significantly lower than those of the controls. Serum levels of zinc, prealbumin and carotene were also significantly lower than those of the controls. Percentages of plasma linoleic and arachidonic acids were low, while percentages of palmitoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were high. Fish oil intake correlated negatively with plasma linoleic acid concentration (P < 0.05). The above results indicate that the relatively high intake of fish oil and the relatively low intake of dietary fat in Japanese patients with chronic pancreatitis with a mild degree of steatorrhoea results in an abnormally low plasma level of linoleic acid.

Serum Vitamin A and E Concentrations in Acute Falciparum Malaria: Modulators or Markers of Severity?

1. To assess the association between vitamin A, vitamin E and the clinical course of severe malaria, serial morning blood samples were taken from 24 Vietnamese patients, aged 18-62 years, receiving intensive treatment for complicated Plasmodium falciparum infections. A single fasting blood sample was also taken from 10 control subjects aged 22-45 years. Serum retinol, carotene and vitamin E concentrations were measured by h.p.l.c. 2. Admission serum retinol concentration was depressed relative to that of the control subjects (0.69 +/- 0.35 versus 1.86 +/- 0.41 mumol/l mean +/- SD, P < 0.001) and correlated inversely with indices of hepatic function, but positively with the simultaneous serum creatinine concentration (P < 0.05). During the first week of treatment, serum retinol concentration increased in parallel with improving liver function, whereas serum creatinine concentration remained elevated in the majority of patients. Serum alpha- and beta-carotene concentrations remained depressed throughout. 3. Serum vitamin E concentration, corrected for total serum cholesterol concentration in the form of a ratio, was also depressed at presentation (3.1 +/- 1.8 x 10(3) versus 4.2 +/- 0.8 x 10(3) in control subjects; P < 0.05), but tended to be higher than the control value at the time of discharge (0.1 > P > 0.05); there was a significant correlation between admission ratio and parasite clearance time (P = 0.04). 4. On the basis of this and previous studies, vitamin A replacement could be considered in selected severely ill patients without renal impairment. As found previously in animal models, depressed vitamin E levels may have a beneficial effect on the course of malarial infection.

Hypercarotenemia and transaminitis in female adolescents with eating disorders: A prospective, controlled study

Purpose: Hypercarotenemia and transaminitis are reported as laboratory features of anorexia nervosa. However, the specificity and sensitivity of an elevation in serum carotene and transaminase are not known. Therefore, a prospective study was undertaken to determine the clinical utility of these serum markers. Methods: Serum carotene was measured in 46 female adolescents between 13 years and 18 years of age (21 anorexia nervosa, 17 bulimia nervosa, 8 unclassified eating disorders). Findings were compared to levels of carotene in serum samples obtained from similarly aged females with either chronic inflammatory bowel disease (22 Crohn disease, 11 ulcerative colitis) or acute medical symptoms not associated with undernutrition or intestinal inflammation ( N = 26), and 21 children of either sex with dyspeptic symptoms. Results: Serum carotene was elevated in 6/46 (13.0%) females with eating disorders compared with only 2/80 (2.5%) children in the three comparison groups ( p < 0.01). Hypercarotenemia was present in 4/21 girls with anorexia nervosa compared with 0/17 females with bulimia nervosa ( p = 0.11). Transaminitis was present in 38.5% (AST) and 7.7% (ALT) of eating disorder patients. Liver enzyme abnormalities, however, did not correlate with hypercarotenemia. Transaminitis was also not specific for eating disorders since transaminitis was observed with comparable frequency in the three comparison groups. Conclusions: These findings confirm that hypercarotenemia is a laboratory feature in some subjects with eating disorders, in particular, anorexia nervosa. The low sensitivity (13.0%) does not provide justification for its use as a screening test. However, in complicated diagnostic settings a serum carotene determination could prove useful because the specificity (97.5%), positive predictive value (75.0%), and negative predictive value (66.1%) of an elevated carotene were high. These data also show that elevated carotene levels are not associated with hepatic abnormalities. Although transaminitis is reported as a laboratory feature of eating disorders, the prevalence of such abnormalities in this study was not higher than in age-matched comparison groups.

Serum carotene deficiency in HIV-infected patients

To assess total serum carotene concentration in HIV-infected patients as an indicator of fat malabsorption in correlation with diarrhoea, secondary enteric infections, and blood lymphocyte subsets. Prospective study. Two referral-based tertiary care centres in Berlin, Germany. A total of 33 controls and 116 HIV-infected patients who had complete microbiological evaluation of stools and biopsies obtained at upper endoscopy because of diarrhoea (n = 54), or other symptoms (n = 62), were studied. Total serum carotene concentration was determined spectrophotometrically. Total serum carotene concentration was abnormal (< 0.88 mumol/l) in 77% of HIV-infected patients and significantly decreased compared with controls [0.47 mumol/l (range, 0.06-1.69 mumol/l) versus 1.37 mumol/l (range, 0.88-2.92 mumol/l); P < 0.0001]. Total serum carotene concentration did not differ between AIDS patients and patients at earlier disease stages, between patients with or without secondary enteric infections, or between patients with or without fever. In patients at earlier disease stages, but not in AIDS patients, total serum carotene concentration was lower for patients with than without diarrhoea. The percentage of CD4 lymphocytes (r = 0.364; P < 0.001), CD4 count (r = 0.28; P = 0.0013), and CD4/CD8 ratio (r = 0.38; P < 0.001) in the peripheral blood correlated with total serum carotene levels in HIV-infected patients. HIV-infected patients frequently have abnormal total serum carotene concentrations indicating fat malabsorption which may contribute to diarrhoea. Furthermore, total serum carotene concentrations correlate with immunologic abnormalities in HIV infection.

Restoration of exocrine pancreatic function following pancreas‐liver‐kidney transplantation in a cystic fibrosis patient

Pancreatic transplantation for endocrine replacement is well‐established for insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus. Exocrine pancreatic function after pancreas transplantation has been maintained after orthotopic cluster transplants for malignancy, and restoration of adequate exocrine function in a previously deficient patient has been reported in a patient with chronic pancreatitis who developed labile diabetes and steatorrhea after pancreatectomy. We performed a triple organ transplant (pancreas, liver and kidney) in a patient with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and insulin‐dependent diabetes related to cystic fibrosis (CF) after he developed hepatic and renal failure. Pancreatic exocrine secretions were drained enterically to the jejunum. At 24‐month follow‐up. malabsorption is absent. The 3‐day stool fat, stool trypsin and chymotrypsin are normal. Serum carotene is within the normal range. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in CF patients can be corrected by pancreas transplantation. However, routine use in CF is precluded by the risks of surgery and immunosuppression. For diabetic patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency who require another organ transplant (e.g., lung, liver, or kidney), simultaneous pancreas transplantation with the exocrine secretions directed into the upper gastrointestinal tract should be considered.

Celiac disease: Pathogenesis and serologic tests

The serological tests represent a significant advance in screening at-risk patients for celiac disease and probably should supplant other nonspecific methods for screening, such as 72-hr fecal fat, the d-xylose test, serum carotene, or small-bowel x-ray. The latter tests lack sensitivity, specificity, or simplicity. The published results suggest that the EMA IgA IFA is currently the screening tool of choice. The demonstration of the characteristic histological abnormalities of the intestinal abnormality and clinical improvement on a gluten-free diet is the gold standard for the diagnosis of celiac disease. Whether serological testing can substitute for intestinal biopsy in the diagnosis of celiac disease will depend on the experience obtained from more widespread application of these tests. The greater availability and more frequent use of these tests should increase the detection of a readily treatable condition, the diagnosis of which is often greatly delayed.

Long-term Outcome in a Series of Jejunoileal Bypass Patients

In 65 jejunolleal (JI) bypasses done from 1973-1979, there were nine Scott and 56 Payne (with Y-shaped anastomosis). Preoperative excess body weight (EBW) translated to the 1983 Metropolitan Tables was 112 +/- 30%. Eight patients are lost to follow-up. We reversed seven patients for renal stones (12%) accompanied by a vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and one because she demanded a VBG. Five patients were reversed by surgeons elsewhere for minor problems (three with an accompanying gastric reduction operation), and all five regained and requested a JI bypass again, which we now refused to undertake. This leaves 44 JI bypass patients being followed: loss of EBW is 71 +/- 22% at 12-18 years. The eight reversed by us accompanied by a VBG regained some weight (loss of EBW from initial weight is 56 +/- 18%). Liver biopsies were done for 5 years in 31 patients, and showed improvement by 36 months. Patients took predigested collagen capsules plus high protein and multivitamins. Injections of B12 are indicated in 18 patients, given every 3 months. Liver dysfunction has not occurred in the long-term. Low serum carotene levels persist. Migratory arthraigias were controlled by oral metronidazole and did not occur after the fifth year. Oxalate crystals remain on urinalysis. Potassium and magnesium replacement is not required now, and a mean of 2.5 stools per day is not a problem, with infrequent diarrhea after greasy foods. Metronidazole is continued in 33 patients to prevent foul flatus. One patient developed a brain tumor, one myxedema, and one primary hyperparathyroidism, thought to be complications of the bypass until diagnosed. Most patients appear to be doing well.

A Correlation between Carotenemia and Biliary Dyskinesia

The interrelationship between carotenemia and biliary dyskinesia was studied in eighty-two biliary dyskinesia patients and twenty-seven normal subjects. Incidence of serum carotene levels of more than 300 micrograms/dl was more frequent in biliary dyskinesia patients without liver damage or hyperlipemia. Among the carotenemia patients, no dietary cases were found, but metabolic and hyperlipemic ones were observed. Significant relationships were found between gall bladder contraction rate and the levels of serum carotene, vitamin A, and lipids in metabolic carotenemia. A close relationship between metabolic carotenemia and biliary dyskinesia was strongly suggested.

A case study of carotenemia in anorexia nervosa may support the interrelationship of vitamin A and thyroid hormone

Elevated serum carotenoids (carotenemia) of unknown etiology is associated with anorexia nervosa. This case study reports a subject with anorexia nervosa and carotenemia who was followed while consuming a carotene-free enteral feeding for 34 days. Blood was collected periodically for clinical evaluation. Thyroid hormones, T 4 and T 3, were analyzed by RIA and serum carotene was analyzed by HPLC. Despite the carotene-free diet, serum betacarotene (the provitamin A carotenoid) remained elevated concommitted with low T3. The carotenemia of anorexia nervosa is compared with that seen in normal individuals chronically consuming purified beta-carotene supplements and normal subjects receiving a carotene-free diet. Recent studies suggest that vitamin A and thyroid hormone interaction may be linked at the level of gene expression. The argument is presented that the carotenemia of anorexia nervosa together with the alteration in thyroid hormone may represent a biochemical marker for the molecular events altering the physiological profile of this starvation-like syndrome.

Effect of chronic octreotide treatment on intestinal absorption in patients with acromegaly

The adverse gastrointestinal effects of octreotide, a synthetic analog of somatostatin, have not been fully elucidated. Low-dose octreotide frequently causes adverse gastrointestinal symptoms in normal individuals. We investigated the adverse gastrointestinal effects of high-dose octreotide, which is required for the normalization of growth hormone hypersecretion in some patients with acromegaly. Patients with acromegaly (N = 8) were treated with octreotide, 450 micrograms/day, then 1500 micrograms/day for two months at each dosage. Carbohydrate absorption was assessed using the D-xylose test, and fat absorption using fecal fat excretion and serum carotene concentrations, at baseline, at each dosage of octreotide, and after one month of washout. Ultrasonography was used to monitor for cholelithiasis. Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations were significantly suppressed at both dosages. Adverse gastrointestinal symptoms were mild and transient. D-Xylose absorption remained normal at each dosage and after one month of washout. Fecal fat excretion increased from 7 +/- 2 to 12 +/- 2 g/24 hr (P < 0.05) after the higher dosage and resumed baseline levels after the washout. Mean fasting serum carotene levels remained normal, and carotene loading test (15,000 units three times a day for three days) was unreliable in identifying patients with high fecal fat. No new cholelithiasis was detected by ultrasonography. One of two patients with preexisting cholelithiasis developed biliary colic several days after the treatment period. Although steatorrhea was common, small intestinal absorptive capacity was otherwise unchanged by four months of high-dose octreotide treatment, which significantly suppressed growth hormone secretion in acromegalic patients.

4] Association of carotenoids with human plasma lipoproteins

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the association of carotenoids with human plasma lipoproteins. The majority of circulating carotenoids are associated with lipoproteins, which serve as plasma transport vehicles. The spectrum of carotenoids found in plasma is also present in a variety of human tissues, indicating that there is an effective transfer of carotenoids from plasma lipoproteins to tissues. The apolipoprotein components of lipoproteins provide the specificity that is required for the transfer of lipoprotein components to specific tissues, and the array of apolipoproteins varies among the lipoprotein classes. Various apolipoproteins serve as recognition ligands for lipoprotein receptors on tissues, enabling lipoprotein uptake and catabolism at specific sites. The apolipoprotein components also serve as cofactors for certain enzymes, such as hepatic and extrahepatic lipases, which are intimately involved in lipoprotein metabolism, and hence in regulating the transfer of lipoprotein components to tissues. Plasma carotenoids are associated predominantly with low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the major cholesterol-transporting lipoprotein. This view is supported by correlations of serum carotene concentrations with total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels but more definitively by the analysis of various carotenoids from lipoprotein classes.

Balance Studies and Polymeric Glucose Solution to Optimize Therapy After Massive Intestinal Resection

The aim of this study was to determine whether fluid homeostasis could be maintained by using a hypo-osmolar (200 to 221 mosmol/kg), relatively low-sodium (50 to 52 mmol/liter) solution that contained a glucose polymer in a 54-year-old patient with high ileostomy output attributed to short-gut syndrome and resultant prerenal azotemia. Sequential balance studies were performed to assess stool and urinary output, stool fat, and urinary electrolytes initially during intravenous rehydration and subsequently during administration of the necessary fluids and nutrients exclusively by oral supplementation. The additional effects of high-fat and low-fat diet, loperamide hydrochloride, and octreotide acetate were evaluated. When the patient sipped a hypo-osmolar oral rehydration solution while she was awake during the day and received a high dose of loperamide and a 40-g fat, disaccharide-free diet, salt and water homeostasis was maintained. The addition of octreotide did not substantially enhance fluid balance; rather, it increased fecal fat and fluid losses from the small bowel. Thus, hypo-osmolar polymeric glucose solutions maintain fluid homeostasis in patients with the short-gut syndrome. In such patients, simple balance studies are useful for assessing the absorptive capacity of the residual intestine, for developing an optimal individualized treatment, and for eliminating the need for costly, long-term home parenteral nutrition.