[Prevalence of protein-energy undernutrition evaluated by the measurement of triceps skinfold thickness and mid-arm muscle circumference of 103 adults with cirrhosis of the liver hospitalized in the department of hepatology and gastroenterology of the Lomé Campus University Hospital (Togo)]. / Prévalence de la dénutrition protéinoénergétique par la mesure du pli cutané tricipital et de la circonférence musculaire brachiale, chez 103 cirrhotiques adultes hospitalisés en hépato-gastro-entérologie au CHU Campus de Lomé (Togo).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate by a reliable method the protein-energy nutritional status of adults hospitalized in the hepatology and gastroenterology department of the Lomé Campus University Hospital. METHODS: This cross-sectional prospective study conducted from March 1 to September 15, 2012, included 103 inpatients aged at least 16 years. The variables evaluated were: triceps skinfold thickness (TST), mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC), serum albumin, CRP, and orosomucoid. The Child-Pugh classification was used to evaluate the clinical severity of liver disease. RESULTS: Within this population of patients with cirrhosis, 40 were alcohol-dependent (39.0%) and 85 had anorexia (82.5%); 49 were in group B of the Child-Pugh classification, and 37 in group C. We found a non-significant (p = 0.324) difference in TST measurement between the three Child-Pugh groups: A (8.4 ± 4.5); B (6.1 ± 3.7); and C (6.4 ± 7.2). The prevalence of protein-energy malnutrition ranged from 52.0% to 82.5%, when evaluated by MAMC or TST. Our results confirm the need to pay additional attention to the protein-energy nutritional status of inpatients in this department, by adding reliable tools, such as the TST and MAMC, to the biochemistry analysis to characterize undernutrition.

[Protein-calorie nutritional state in elderly patients hospitalized in Lomé Campus university hospital: pilot study about 33 patients versus 30 reference cases registered in three care units]. / Statut nutritionnel protéinoénergétique des personnes âgées hospitalisées au CHU Campus de Lomé (Togo) : étude pilote à propos de 33 cas versus 30 témoins colligés dans trois unités de soins.

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the protein-calorie nutritional status of elderly hospitalized patients admitted to the hepato-gastroenterology, cardiology and internal medicine departments of the Lomé Campus University Hospital and identify the endogenous and mixed undernutrition to provide patients with better nutrition and assistance. Methodology. This cross-sectional study conducted between April 1 and July 31, 2009, included 33 hospitalized case patients aged at least 55 years and 30 age-matched outpatient control subjects. Patients were evaluated according to body mass index (BMI), the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and their serum albumin, serum prealbumin and orosomucoid levels. Results. Among the hospitalized case patients, 37% had protein-calorie undernutrition (low serum albumin), and 73% were at risk of this undernutrition (low serum prealbumin). Five patients (16%) were endogenously undernourished and 17 (57%) exogenously undernourished. Six to 13% of the oupatient controls were undernourished and 33% at risk of undernutrition according to the MNA scale. A significant difference existed between the mean albumin values of case patients and controls (38 ± 9 g/L vs 46 ± 7 g/L, p = 0.002). Conclusion. Our results confirm that the elderly inpatients were regularly malnourished. Knowledge of their nutritional profile has allowed us to launch an improved nutritional assistance program and to supervise it properly.

Cyclic fatty acid monomers from dietary heated fats affect rat liver enzyme activity.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary cyclic fatty acid monomers (CFAM), contained in heated fat from a commercial deep-fat frying operation, on rat liver enzyme activity. A partially hydrogenated soybean oil (PHSBO) used 7 d (7-DH) for frying foodstuffs, or 0.15% methylated CFAM diets was fed to male weanling rats in comparison to a control group fed a nonheated PHSBO (NH) diet in a 10-wk experiment. All diets were isocaloric with 15% fat. Animals fed either CFAM or 7-DH diets showed increased hepatic content of cytochrome (cyt.) b5 and P450 and increased activity of (E.C. 1.6.2.4) NADPH-cyt. P450 reductase in comparison to the control rats. In addition, the activities of (E.C. 2.3.1.21) carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I and (E.C. 1.1.1.42) isocitrate dehydrogenase were significantly decreased when compared to that of rats fed the NH diet. A significantly depressed activity of (E.C. 1.1.1.49) glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was also observed for these animals compared to the control rats fed NH diet. Moreover, liver and microsomal proteins were significantly increased when CFAM or 7-DH diets were fed to animals in comparison to controls while liver glycogen was decreased significantly in experimental groups of rats. The results obtained in this study indicate that the CFAM in the diet from either synthetic sources or used fats increase the activity of liver enzyme systems that detoxify them.

Magnesium silicate treatment of dietary heated fats: effects on rat liver enzyme activity.

In an effort to reduce the deleterious nutritional effects of oxidation products generated in heated fats, a partially hydrogenated soybean oil (PHSBO) used 7 d (7-DH) for frying foodstuffs was obtained from a commercial deep-fat frying operation. The used fat was treated with magnesium silicate (T-7DH). Isocaloric diets containing 15% of either 7-DH or T-7-DH fats were prepared and fed to male weanling rats for 10 wk in a pair-feeding experiment and compared to control rats fed nonheated PHSBO (NH). Animals fed the 7-DH diet showed higher liver enzyme cytochrome b5 and P450 activity than the T-7DH diet compared to the NH group, suggesting a positive effect of the treatment. These results suggested the presence of lower amounts of harmful compounds in the diet containing the heated used oil which had been treated with the active adsorbent.

Effects of dietary heated fats on rat liver enzyme activity.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary heated fats from a commercial deep-fat frying operation on rat liver enzyme activity. The fats, partially hydrogenated soybean oil (PHSBO) used for four days and for 7 days (7-DH) for frying foodstuffs in a commercial restaurant, were fed to rats in either free access to food or by pair-feeding graded doses. All diets were isocaloric and contained 15 g/100 g of diet. Experiments were conducted with control rats fed non-heated (NH) PHSBO diet. Animals fed 7-DH diet in each set of experiments had larger amounts of cytochromes P450 and b5 and greater activity of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase when compared to controls. The activities of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I and isocitrate dehydrogenase were significantly lower in rats fed test diets in comparison to controls. A significantly depressed activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase was also noticed for these animals when compared to those fed NH. In addition, liver and microsomal protein concentrations were significantly greater in rats fed the used oils in comparison to controls, and liver glycogen was significantly lower.