Avaliação nutricional e de atividade inflamatória sistêmica em pacientes com câncer colorretal submetidos a suplementação com simbióticos

Abstract

Nutritional depletion, found in patients with advanced colorectal cancer even with adequate weight, may be associated with co-morbidity factors such as: reduction of immunity, increased rate of infections, impaired cicatrization and muscle weakness. The presence of a malignancy stimulates the acute phase metabolic responses, with an increase of positive proteins, such as C-reactive protein, simply reflecting a non-specific inflammatory process secondary to tumor necrosis or tissue injury. Immunomodulating diets have recently been used as a nutritional approach to cancer patients. Prebiotics, probiotics and symbiotics (a mixture of the first two) have been studied. This study assessed the Nutritional Status and Systemic Inflammatory Activity of colorectal patients on symbiotic supplementation. It was a progressive longitudinal study with colorectal cancer patients. Besides anthropometric data, the following blood components were measured: C-reactive protein (CRP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-10 (IL10) and albumin. The mean CRP level at baseline, before symbiotic administration, was 11 mg/dl, with a reduction to below 6 mg/dl at the end of the study. The results suggest a beneficial effect of symbiotic supplementation, because although albumin and CEA levels were stable during the study, there was a CRP reduction throughout the study.