Nutritional Elements and Clinical Biochemistry

✍ Scribed by Donald E. Hill M.D. (auth.), Marge A. Brewster, Herbert K. Naito (eds.)

• Publisher: Springer US
• Year: 1980
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 467
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The important role that the nutritional status exerts in determining the course of life from birth to death in the human being and especially its impact in disease states is only par­ tially appreciated at this time. Nutritional deficiencies are usually considered to be major problems only in under-privileged or developing populations, except for those occurring in specific diseases. This attitude is incorrect as indicated by reports of Bestrian et al (1974, 1976) and Merritt and Suskin (1979) and others who found evidence of nutritional depletion in as much as 50% of the patients in varied groups of hospitalized patients in the United States. Other studies, some of which are included in this book, emphasized the existence of deficiencies of certain specific nutrients. Despite evidence of nutritional deficiencies occurring more frequently than previously appreciated, there is no well established protocol of laboratory studies that the clinical chemist or scientist should provide to help the physician detect lack of essential nutrients before extensive and possibly irreparable damage has occurred to the individual patient. Considerable research data are needed to determine the best biologic material (i.e., erythrocytes, leucocytes, plasma, serum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, lymph) for analysis to determine accurately at an early stage metabolic deficiencies due to a specific nutritional element. Improved techniques for analysis of key metabolites and nutrients are available in the research labora­ tory and many of them can be adapted to the clinical laboratory.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-xiii
Clinical Correlates in Nutritional Disease....Pages 1-13
Clinical Significance of Riboflavin Deficiency....Pages 15-68
Role of Vitamin C in Health and Disease....Pages 69-115
Vitamin A and Retinol Binding Protein Alterations in Disease....Pages 117-130
Vitamin D — Its Excessive Use in the U.S.A.....Pages 131-138
The Clinical Implications of Lipid Antioxidant Nutrition....Pages 139-167
Vitamin B 12 and Folic Acid: Clinical and Pathophysiological Considerations....Pages 169-240
Trace Metals in Health and Disease....Pages 241-275
Role of Specific Nutritional Components on Plasma Lipids, Lipoproteins and Coronary Heart Disease....Pages 277-316
Dietary Management of Hyperlipidemia: The Prudent Polyunsaturated Fat Diet....Pages 317-356
Effects of Hypoproteinemia on Serum Lipoprotein Composition of Dogs and Rats....Pages 357-382
Dietary Fiber and Disease....Pages 383-396
Some Manifestations of Malabsorption in Disease....Pages 397-408
Amino Acids in Health and Disease....Pages 409-419
Aminograms in Various Types of Liver Disease....Pages 421-435
The Role of Erythrocyte Amino Acids in Energy Metabolism....Pages 437-450
Back Matter....Pages 451-463

✦ Subjects

Science, general