Abstract
Malnutrition is common in patients with cystic fibrosis. Aim of the study was to estimate concentration of the plasma amino acids in adults patients with cystic fibrosis.
Fourteen subject with cystic fibrosis (7 women) mean age 24.8 +- 2.7 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 18.2 +- 2.6 kg/m 2 were investigated. An increased plasma concentration of the glutamic acid (p < 0.001), aspartic acid (p < 0.001) and methionine (p < 0.01) was found and a decreased concentration of serine (p < 0.001), asparagine (p < 0.001), glycine (p < 0.01), alanine (p < 0.001), isoleucine (p < 0.001), tryptophane (p < 0.05), ornithine (p < 0.01), lysine (p < 0.01) and histidine (p < 0.001).
We conclude, that in adult patients with cystic fibrosis are some disturbances in the plasma amino acid concentrations. We can only speculate, that these findings are related to malnutrition and persistent inflamma- tory stimulation.