Protein and plasma amino acid metabolism in cancer patients

ABSTRACT

Proteins present in the human body have numerous functions. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins used for structural and regulatory functions of body. In cancer cachexia the patients develop anorexia, diminished intake of calories with significant abnormalities in carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism and progressive tissue depletion accompanied by weight loss. The gradual loss of host protein stores is central to this process which leads to amino acid imbalance in the blood and some times decreased levels of certain amino acids. Increased urinary amino acids occur in patients of certain cancers. These changes in the amino acid result into altered host defence against cancer and also the therapeutic complications in these patients. Extra nutritional support through gut and total parenteral nutrition [TPN] can alter the tumour host nutrition balance and repletion occur