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Lower Carnitine Plasma Values from Malnutrition Cancer Patients

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Abstract

Introduction

Understanding the consequences of cancer for energy metabolism is required in order to define strategies that both prevent and treat malnutrition. Carnitine is essential for lipid energy metabolism. The objective of this study was to assess presurgical plasma carnitine levels in cancer patients and their association with dietary intake, anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance, indirect calorimetry, plasma amino acid levels, and urinary carnitine and nitrogen values.

Methods

This was a prospective study in which two groups were randomly selected: one consisting of esophageal and gastric cancer patients (n = 24) and the other of healthy volunteers (control group, n = 12).

Results

Average plasma and urinary carnitine values ranged from 60 to 80 μM and 78 to 124 μM, respectively, in both groups, with no significant difference between them. Moreover, methionine and lysine levels, as well as resting energy expenditure, did not differ between cancer patients and controls. Plasma free carnitine levels, however, were significantly lower in cancer patients, 80 % (p < 0.05) of whom had deficient urinary carnitine excretion, insufficient dietary protein intake, and low body fat reserves.

Conclusion

Although cancer patients had carnitine deficiency and lower carnitine stores, these did not affect resting energy expenditure, total food intake, or plasma lysine and methionine levels.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Research Council of Brazil—CNPq.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Estela Iraci Rabito

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Estela Iraci Rabito, Izabel Arruda Leme, Rafael Demenice, Alceu Afonso Jordão Jr. & Júlio Sérgio Marchini

  3. Federal University of Triàngulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil

    Guilherme Vannucchi Portari

  4. Department of Anatomy and Surgery, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    José Sebastião dos Santos

  5. Sarmento Leite St. 245, room 611, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Estela Iraci Rabito

Authors
  1. Estela Iraci Rabito
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  2. Izabel Arruda Leme
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  3. Rafael Demenice
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  4. Guilherme Vannucchi Portari
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  5. Alceu Afonso Jordão Jr.
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  6. José Sebastião dos Santos
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  7. Júlio Sérgio Marchini
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Correspondence to Estela Iraci Rabito.

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Rabito, E.I., Leme, I.A., Demenice, R. et al. Lower Carnitine Plasma Values from Malnutrition Cancer Patients. J Gastrointest Canc 44, 362–365 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-013-9497-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12029-013-9497-3

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