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Natural Health and Herbal Remedies Blog
information on herbal medicine
UNDERSTANDING IMMUNE-SYSTEM TESTS: PROTEIN
One of the most important things we doctors can evalaute in the blood is protein. The enzyme systems that keep the body running depend on protein. And the immune system cells, like all cells, can’t exist without protein.
“But, Dr. Fox,” some patients protest, “didn’t you say that the average person gets too much protein?” Yes, I do feel that most of us take in plenty of protein. Still, protein malnutrition is seen in hospitalized patients, those with colitis, cancer, pancreatitis, chronic illnesses, in alcoholics, persons on fad diets, people taking drugs and others. Protein calorie malnutririon (PCM) is more common than one would think it would be in the Western world. Unfortunatly, it’s an often overlooked medical-nutritional problem.
Twenty-five to 50 percent of all adults admitted to a hospital for medical or surgical reasons develop signs of PCM within two weeks after admission. I have seen many patients living on nothing but intravenous solutions of five percent glucose in water for a week, ten days, or many weeks.
PCM can occur even where there is plenty of food to eat. There may be excessive food, but it is of limited variety and very low in protein. Years ago a 35-year-old woman was referred to me by another doctor. She complained of weakness and had anemia. Taking her personal and medical history, I learned that this mother of three small children was extremely poor. She and her children ate lots of potatoes—fried, boiled, baked, mashed— and some white rice. Potatoes are good for you, but a diet of mostly potatoes is unhealthy. She and her children were overweight: full, but malnourished. With plenty of calories to eat, but not enough protein, the woman and her children wound up with PCM.
Elderly people who eat only a few different foods, mostly from cans or packages, can also run into trouble. It’s wonderful to see how bright and energetic these people become when they are fed correctly.
Thus, as part of the Immuno-Nutritional series of blood tests, I look at three proteins in the blood: retinol-binding protein, transferin and albumin.
Both retinol-binding protein and transferin are sensitive indicators of a person’s protein status, because they’re rapid-turnover proteins. This means that the body quickly manufactures and destroys the proteins, so a shortage of building blocks (amino acids) will affect these proteins sooner than it will longer-lived proteins. These two proteins provide a biochemical indication of poor nutrition before the clinical signs are evident.
I also look at the serum albumin, even though this is a relatively “long-lived” protein that takes longer to be affected by a nutritional deficit. It’s part of my standard laboratory panel, however, so it’s a readily available figure. It has been shown that low-serum albumin in hospitalized patients has been associated with longer hospital stays and sicker patients. A low-serum albumin not accounted for in other disease states, such as liver or kidney failure, is associated with a lowered immune response. Albumin is lowered in infections and often with cancer.
Results: …
Retinol-binding protein 3.0-6.0 mg/dl
Transferin 200-400 mg/dl
Albumin 3.5-5.0 gm/dl (I like to see it between 4.5 and 5.5 gm/dl.)
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