Branched chain amino acid profile in early chronic kidney disease

• Published in: Saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation Vol. 23; no. 6; pp. 1202 - 1207
• Main Authors: Raju, K. V. N., Manoharan, Suchitra Musturu, Kumar, V. Siva, Narasimha, Srinivasa Rao Pemmaraju Venkata Lakshmi, Kumar, M. Anil, Bitla, Aparna Rajeshwar Rao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation 01.11.2012; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Adult; Amino acids; Amino Acids, Branched-Chain - blood; Biomarkers - blood; Branched chain amino acids; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Case-Control Studies; Chronic kidney failure; Chronic renal failure; Disease Progression; Humans; Hypoalbuminemia - blood; Hypoalbuminemia - etiology; India; Inflammation Mediators - blood; Leucine - blood; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - blood; Malnutrition - etiology; Middle Aged; Nutritional aspects; Nutritional Status; Patients; Physiological aspects; Prevention; Prognosis; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic - blood; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic - complications; Risk factors; Serum Albumin - analysis; Valine - blood; الأحماض الأمينية; الأحماض العضوية; التغذية; الفشل الكلوي; المرضى; المركبات الأمينية; India
• ISSN: 1319-2442; 2320-3838
• DOI: 10.4103/1319-2442.103560

The nutritional status in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is a predictor of prognosis during the first period of dialysis. Serum albumin is the most commonly used nutritional marker. Another index is plasma amino acid profile. Of these, the plasma levels of branched chain amino acids (BCAA), especially valine and leucine, correlate well with nutritional status. Plasma BCAAs were evaluated along with albumin and C-reactive protein in 15 patients of early stages of CKD and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. A significant decrease in plasma valine, leucine and albumin levels was observed in CKD patients when compared with the controls (P < 0.05). No significant difference in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels was observed between the two groups. Malnutrition seen in our CKD patients in the form of hypoalbuminemia and decreased concentrations of BCAA points to the need to evaluate the nutritional status in the early stages itself. Simple measures in the form of amino acid supplementation should be instituted early to decrease the morbidity and mortality before start of dialysis in these patients.