Reduced metabolic efficiency in patients with Crohn's disease.

Malnutrition is frequently seen in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and parenteral or enteral nutrition is considered essential in this patient group. However, many patients with Crohn's disease have difficulties in gaining weight in response to overfeeding, suggesting reduced energy retention. Substrate utilization and nutrient balances as well as changes in body composition were followed in 10 patients with Crohn's disease immediately in the course of remission on low-dose steroid treatment, during an eight-day period of continuous enteral nutrition at constant (protocol 1:1.

Metabolic responses to lipid infusions in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Energy expenditure, whole body substrate oxidation rates and arterial substrate concentrations were measured in 14 patients with liver cirrhosis and 13 control subjects before and during sequential infusions of a long chain (LCT) or a medium chain triglyceride emulsion (MCT) without and with concomitant insulin plus glucose infusions. Resting energy expenditure, basal substrate oxidation rates and the arterial concentrations of glucose, lactate, triglycerides and ketones were normal, whereas plasma free fatty acids and glycerol were both increased in patients with liver cirrhosis. The arterial plasma triglyceride and free fatty acid concentrations as well as whole body lipid oxidation rate rose in response to LCT in both groups and the maximum lipid oxidation rate was 1.

Resting energy expenditure and the thermic effect of adrenaline in patients with liver cirrhosis.

1. Resting energy expenditure and the metabolic responses to adrenaline (infusion rate: 0.03 micrograms min-1 kg-1 fat-free mass for 1 h) were investigated in 25 patients with liver cirrhosis.

Lipoprotein (a): a risk factor for retinal vascular occlusion.

The protein moiety of lipoprotein (a) consists of apoB-100 and apolipoprotein (a). Lipoprotein (a) is an independent risk factor for premature atherosclerosis. Apolipoprotein (a) and plasminogen are structurally homologous.