Nutritional assessment of vitamin E in malnourished patients with AIDS.

Malnourished patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may have low serum levels and reduced intake of alpha-tocopherol, mainly in the presence of acute-phase response. The aims of this study were to compare intake and serum levels of alpha-tocopherol between malnourished (MN) and non-malnourished (NMN) AIDS patients and to correlate alpha-tocopherol intake and serum levels. Undernutrition was defined as having a body mass index lower than 18. 5 kg/m(2) or a height-creatinine index lower than 70%. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire assessed alpha-tocopherol intake. High-performance liquid chromatography determined vitamin serum levels. The patients were divided into MN (n = 14) and NMN (n = 15) groups. There were no statistical differences in relation to clinical findings between MN and NMN, respectively, including moniliasis (7/14 versus 4/15), neurocryptoccocosis and neurotoxoplasmosis (6/14 versus 6/15), pulmonary tuberculosis (4/14 versus 2/15), and fever (1/14 versus 3/15). MN and NMN groups had similar peripheral blood CD(4) levels (111.4+/-87.1 versus 124.4+/-90.9 cells/mm(3)), and both groups had similar and adequate alpha-tocopherol intake (MN = 50.0+/-11.0 versus NMN = 47.2+/-16.5 mg) and serum levels (MN = 17.8+/-7.2 versus NMN = 19.8+/-6.3 micromol/L). Vitamin E intake and serum levels did not show a significant correlation (r = -0.22, P 0.05). Protein-energy nutrition status and acute-phase response were not factors determining vitamin status among AIDS patients.

Hyponatremia in acute-phase response syndrome patients in general surgical wards.

BACKGROUND: In surgical patients, hypoalbuminemia may occur as a component of acute-phase response (APR) syndrome, which we hypothesized could decrease serum sodium levels. AIM: To compare the frequency of hyponatremia in adult surgical inpatients with or without APR syndrome. METHODS: All the simultaneous plasma sodium and albumin results (n = 168), obtained from adults in surgical wards and corresponding to a 6-month period, were searched in the hospital mainframe. Other relevant laboratory and clinical data were also registered. APR was ascertained by the presence of major physical trauma, surgery or infection, plus hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin <3.5 g/dl) and neutrophil left shift (>/=7% of band count) associated with peripheral leukopenia (white blood cells <4, 000/mm(3)) or leukocytosis (WBC >9,000/mm(3)). Hyponatremia was defined by serum sodium concentration <135 mEq/l. RESULTS: APR-positive patients (n = 113) had lower blood hemoglobin (10.92 +/- 2.18 vs. 13.53 +/- 2.30 g/dl), and serum albumin levels (median, range: 2.8, 1.9-3.4 vs. 3.7, 3.5-4.2 g/dl) than APR-negative (n = 55) ones, the same occurring in relation to antibiotics (54.8 vs. 10. 9%) and intravenous 5% dextrose in water (55.7 vs. 20.0%) or isotonic saline (46.0 vs. 9.1%) infusion. The hyponatremia frequency was higher among APR-positive patients (31.0 vs. 10.9%). CONCLUSION: The higher percentage of hyponatremia among APR-positive patients could be attributed to decreased serum albumin levels associated with APR.