Níveis plasmáticos de taurina e de seus precursores em pacientes com câncer de esôfago / Plasma taurine levels in patients with esophagus cancer

RACIONAL: O câncer de esôfago tem impacto relevante no metabolismo protéico do hospedeiro, mas pouco se conhece sobre as implicações no metabolismo protéico sulfurado. Deste, destaca-se a taurina, composto participante de várias funções fisiológicas importantes como a manutenção do sistema de defesa celular e possível sobrevida do paciente. OBJETIVO: Estudar as variações plasmáticas da taurina e de seus precursores em pacientes com câncer de esôfago. MÉTODO: Em estudo transversal foram triados 16 pacientes (43-73 anos) com câncer de esôfago e 20 voluntários (27-65 anos) controles sadios que preencheram os critérios clínicos e éticos da pesquisa. Para caracterização do estado geral de saúde efetuou-se avaliação antropométrica, hematimétrica (Hb, Ht, glóbulos brancos, linfócitos) e bioquímica (albumina, glicose, lipídios, aminotransferases). Adicionalmente, foram realizadas, no plasma, análises cromatográficas de taurina e seus precursores cisteína e homocisteína. Foi registrado o tempo de sobrevivência dos pacientes, a partir do diagnóstico histopatológico. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes com câncer de esôfago foram predominantemente do sexo masculino, raça branca, classe socioeconômica baixa, tipo carcinoma espinocelular de localização no terço superior, em estádio IV, sobrevida de 7,8 ± 5,5 anos, referindo perda de peso em 16,4 por cento e apresentando hipoalbuminemia em 50 por cento, com massa muscular e adiposa semelhante ao controle. Os pacientes apresentaram valores estatisticamente menores do que os controles para Hb, Ht, colesterol total, HDL-colesterol e cisteína e maiores de AST, ALT, taurina e homocisteína. Dentre os pacientes houve correlação positiva da taurina tanto com a contagem total de linfócitos, como com a sobrevida dos pacientes. CONCLUSÃO: Os níveis reduzidos de cisteína e elevados de homocisteína, taurina e as associações positivas da taurina com os indicadores da imunocompetência celular e da mortalidade sugerem participação ...

BACKGROUND: The esophagus cancer-host has a two way close relationship as seen in its sulphur-amino acid metabolism. Taurine one of these compounds has ubiquous role in host defense and other physiological mechanisms related to survival. AIM: To study the plasma levels of taurine and its precursors in patients with esophagus cancer. METHODS: In a sectional design both groups, patients (n = 16, 43-73 yrs old) and healthy controls (n = 20, 27-65 yrs old) were assessed for anthropometry, body-weight lost, hematology (Hb, Ht, total leukocytes and lymphocyte counts), general biochemistry (albumin, glucose, lipids and aminotransferases) and chromatographic analysis for taurine, cysteine, and homocysteine. The survival time was registered there since from the clinical-histopathological diagnosis. All participants had a written ethical consent for the research. RESULTS: The cancer patients were predominantly, white males of low social economic class, with spinocellular carcinoma stage IV located at upper 3rd half of them presented hypoalbuminemia and 16 percent referred significant body-weight loss. The patients showed statistically lower values of Hb, Ht, total and HDL cholesterol and cysteine and significantly higher values of taurine, homocysteine and aminotransferases than healthy controls. A positive relationship was found between taurine and either TLC (r = 0.50) and survival (r = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Lower plasma cysteine along with higher levels of taurine and homocysteine and the positive direct association of taurine with indications of survival suggest an effective role of this compound and therefore a prospective special nutritional care in its precursors (cysteine, methionine and B vitamins) of these patients.

Taurine level and field changes in different hereditary types of retinitis pigmentosa

This study was performed to detect if there is a correlation between various hereditary subtypes, taurine level and field indices. This correlation may help in the accurate diagnosis and management of different hereditary subtypes of retinitis pigmentosa cases. The study included 28 patients with retinitis pigmentosa [16 males and 12 females] and 25 controls with matched age and sex distribution. All patients and controls were subjected to clinical evaluation that included personal and family history taking, informative pedigree construction and full clinical examination to exclude the associated genetic syndromes. Field changes were detected in both eyes of 22 RP patients using Humphrey field analyzer 640 utilizing the 24-2 program. All patients and ten of the controls were examined for plasma taurine level by amino acid analyzer [Lc 3000 Eppendorf Biotronik]. A statistical analysis was done using statistical package for social science [SPSS] program. The results showed that taurine level can help in the diagnosis of different hereditary subtypes of retinitis pigmentosa, especially simplex cases that has no definite inheritance. This will improve the genetic counseling for RP families. Taurine can also be considered as a marker for the degree of severity of visual field affection in retinitis pigmentosa cases