Biochemical aspects of GI disease and nutrition Flashcards Preview

September lectures yr 3 (2018) > Biochemical aspects of GI disease and nutrition > Flashcards

Flashcards in Biochemical aspects of GI disease and nutrition Deck (70)
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1
Q

During a clinical assessment what is normal for the patient in terms of nutrition?

A

weight - loss or gain (intentional or unintentional)
food intake
chewing/swallowing
GI symptoms - nausea, vomiting, altered bowel habits
drugs/alcohol

2
Q

How can you assess food intake?

A

dietary recall
food diaries - unweighed food record
food weighing

3
Q

What functional assessments can be done to assess nutritional status?

A

muscle mass - grip strength / isometric knee extension / response to electrical stimulation

hepatic secretory proteins - albumin (<35) and transferrin (<1.5g/L)

immune response in malnourished patients - cell mediated immunity

4
Q

How is malabsorption defined?

A

wide group of conditions associated with disordered biochemistry
no specific clinical presentation - may be a group of signs or symptoms

5
Q

What is the prevalence of undernutrition in hospital?

A

40%

6
Q

What are the effects of malnutrition?

A

Impaired immune response - infection
decreased respiratory muscle strength - increased incidence of chest infection
impaired wound healing - prolonged recovery
inactivity - thromboembolism, pressure sores
decreased skeletal muscle strength - fatigue, inactivity, falls
impaired thermoregulation - hypothermia

7
Q

How does malabsorption present and why?

A
pale bulky (offensive) stools  - fat malabsorption or digestion 
abdominal distention, watery diarrhoea, and xs flatus - malabsorption of carbohydrate 
vague malaise, tiredness and weight loss - generalised deficiency of nutrients 
anaemia - deficiency of iron folate or B12 
easy bruising or bleeding  - deficiency of vit K 
failure to thrive - generalised deficiency of nutrients
8
Q

How can you estimate nutritional requirements?

A

energy requirements = calorimetry
estimation from body weight = 25-35 kcal/kg/24 hours
prediction equations = schofield equation, harris-benedict equation and ireton-jones formula

9
Q

How is basal metabolic rate calculated?

A

Male
BMR = 66.5 +13.75Weight +(5height-6.77age)

Female
BMR = 66.5 +19.56Weight +(1.85height-4.67age)

10
Q

How does BMR vary between age and height?

A

With increasing height your BMR increases and with increasing age your BMR reduces

11
Q

What are the different types of sugars?

A

intrinsic = naturally e.g. as part of the cellular structure

extrinsic = non-natural e.g. refined sugars

12
Q

What are the different types of starches?

A

alpha glucan polysaccharides
Amylose= straight chain glucose polymer with molecular mass 100,000Da
Amylopectin = branched chain glucose polymer with molecular mass >100,000

13
Q

How are carbohydrates chemically digested?

A

salivary amylase, pancreatic amylase and brush border enzymes (dextrinase, glucoamylase, lactase, maltase and sucrase)

14
Q

How are carbohydrates absorbed?

A

secondary active transport (cotransport) with Na
Facilitated diffusion of some monosaccharides = enter the capillary beds in the villi, transported to the liver via the hepatic portal vein

15
Q

Where is amylase found and what does it produce?

A

salivary and pancreatic
- digestion of alpha1,4- bonds in starch
= produces = maltose, maltotriose, short branched oligosaccharides and alpha-limit dextrins

16
Q

How does maltase work and what does it produce?

A

splits glucose from alpha-1,4 bonds in starch up to 9 residues long
producing glucose

17
Q

How does sucrase work and what does it produce?

A

splits sucrose producing glucose and fructose

18
Q

How does isomaltase work and what does it produce?

A

splits glucose monomers from non-reducing ends of alpha limit dextrins
producing glucose

19
Q

How does lactase work and what does it produce?

A

splits lactose producing galactose and glucose

20
Q

How much of dietary starch isn’t absorbed?

A

up to 20%
- carbohydrates in the bowel are metabolised by bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids (energy source for colonocytes) + methane + hydrogen

21
Q

What are primary and secondary lactase deficiencies?

A

primary = eu 5-15%, africans/asians >70%

secondary = IBD, chronic alcoholism, coeliac disease, tropical sprue

22
Q

How can you investigate for carbohydrate absorption?

A

xylose absorption
- pentose sugar 50% excreted in urine - not reliable test so not used

lactose intolerance test
- serial glucose measurements after 50g lactose

hydrogen breath tests

  • glucose hydrogen breath test = bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
  • lactose hydrogen breath test = problem digesting lactose
  • fructose hydrogen breath test = difficulty digesting fructose
  • sorbitol hydrogen breath test = sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used to to investigate rapid intestinal transit
  • lactulose hydrogen breath test = galactose and fructose transported intact to the colon measure of ororectal transit time
23
Q

How is fat absorbed?

A

emulsified by bile phospholipids
stabilised by bile salts
lipase digestion to monoacylglycerol and free fatty acids
solubilised in micelles

24
Q

What are the stages of fat digestion and absorption?

A

1) pre-treatment = emulsification by bile salts
2) enzymes - pancreatic lipase
3) absorption of glycerol and short chain fatty acids = absorbed into capillary blood villi and transported via hepatic portal vein

25
Q

How are monoglycerides and fatty acids absorbed?

A

cluster with bile salts and lecithin to form micelles
then released by micelles to diffuse into epithelial cells
then combine with proteins to form chylomicrons
then enter lacteals and are transported to systemic circulation

26
Q

What are essential fatty acids?

A

phospholipids - linoleic acid and alpha- linoleic acid

precursors of arachadonic acid, eicosapenaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid

27
Q

What is fat absorption dependent upon?

A

bile production - dependent on liver secretion = bile salts, phospholipids and cholesterol and also having patent ducts

pancreatic enzymes = functional lipase

28
Q

How can fat absorption be investigated?

A

faecal fat excretion

  • 3/5 day collection
  • usual diet pre-collection
  • outmoded, no longer used

14C-triolein breath test

  • if 14C labelled triolein absorbed, 14C02 will appear in breath
  • but lung/liver disease may give false results
29
Q

How are proteins digested and absorbed?

A

pepsin in stomach
pancreatic proteases = trypsin, chymotrypsin and carboxypeptidase
brush border enzymes = aminopeptidases, carboxypeptidases and dipeptidases

absorption of amino acids is coupled to active transport of Na

30
Q

How can protein metabolism be measured?

A

nitrogen balance

  • pts on ITU or long term nutrition
  • nitrogen excretion = urinary nitrogen + faecal nitrogen
  • variability of faecal output
31
Q

What is urinary nitrogen made up of?

A

urinary urea nitrogen and non-urea nitrogen (20%)

  • urinary urea nitrogen can be used as an assessment tool but is less useful with increasing severity of illness and inaccurate where there is urine infection
32
Q

What is faecal pancreatic elastase 1?

A

elastase is a protein cleaving enzyme produced by the pancreas
resistant to degradation by other enzymes and is excreted into the gut therefore it can be measured in the stool
- enzyme is reduced in pancreatic insufficiency

33
Q

What is serum immunoreactive trypsin (IRT)?

A

assessing pancreatic function

  • increased IRT indicates obstruction
  • used as a screening test for CF in new born babies
  • low serum values indicate failure of production in pancreatic disease
34
Q

Where are vitamins absorbed?

A

small intestine

  • fat soluble = A, D, E and K - carried by micelles and then diffuse into absorptive cells
  • water soluble vitamins= B and C are absorbed by diffusion or by passive or active transporters
  • vit b12 binds to intrinsic factor and is absorbed by endocytosis
35
Q

What vitamins are absorbed in the large intestine?

A

K and B from bacterial metabolism

36
Q

What are some sources of vitamin A ?

A

preformed vit A = retinol
- liver, fish oils, diary
Carotenoid pigments - beta-carotene
- carrots, dark green leafy veg

37
Q

What happens if you have vit A deficiency?

A

night blindness

38
Q

What happens if you have an excess of vit A?

A

Acute
- raised ICP, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances
chronic
- liver/bone damage+/- teratogeneicity

39
Q

What are the sources of vit E?

A

8 similar compounds - intake is proportional to intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids
- tocopherols = alpha is the most abundant
present in cell membranes - antioxidant

40
Q

What happens if you have a deficiency of vit E?

A

premature infants= haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia

Children/young adults spinocerebellar degeneration

parenteral nutrition

41
Q

What happens if you have an excess of vit E?

A

relatively non-toxic

42
Q

What are sources of thiamine / vitamin B1?

A

wheat germ, oatmeal and yeast

43
Q

What happens if you are deficient in thiamine?

A

beriberi

  • dry = peripheral neuropathy, muscle weakness, fatigue
  • wet = oedema and heart failure

common in 1st world as wernickes encephalopathy

44
Q

How is a thiamine deficiency assessment carried out?

A

direct measurement of thiamine before giving any

- previously erythrocyte transketolase measurement - not used for assessment

45
Q

What happens if you have an excess of thiamine?

A

non- toxic

not recognised as a problem

46
Q

What are some sources of riboflavin / vitamin B2?

A

flavoproteins = flavin mononucleotide, flavin adenine dinucleotide = electron carrier in biological oxido-reduction systems

sources = eggs, green veg, milk and meat

47
Q

What happens if you have a deficiency of riboflavin?

A

angular stomatitis, painful red tongue with sore throat
oily scaly skin rashes
eye sensitive to light
anaemia
birth defects including congenital heart defects and limb deformities

48
Q

How is a riboflavin deficiency assessed?

A
urinary excretion (poor measure)
red cell glutathione reductase (very limited use)
49
Q

What are some sources of nicotinamide/vitamin B3?

A

yeast, meat, milk and green veg

50
Q

What does a deficiency in nicotinamide/b3 cause?

A

pellagra = rare in developed world usually secondary to alcoholism, long term diarrhoea

replacement is non-toxic

51
Q

What are some sources of vitamin B6?

A

pyridoxal, pyridoxine, pyridoxamine + 5-phosphates

= fortified breakfast cereals, meat, bananas, chickpeas, potatoes, pistachios

52
Q

What does a deficiency in vitamin B6 cause?

A

seborrhoeic dermaitis, atrophic glossitis, neurologic symptoms of somnolence, confusion, neuropathy and sideroblastic anaemia

53
Q

What is zinc an essential component of and what does a deficiency cause?

A

essential for over 200 enzymes

- deficiency = inadequate intake (parenteral feeding) and increased loss (diarrhoea)

54
Q

How can you assess zinc levels?

A

plasma zinc
urinary zinc
used in pts on parenteral nutrition

55
Q

What can an excess of copper cause?

A

difficult to cause an excess
Wilson’s disease
- assess by looking at plasma and urine copper and caeruloplasmin

56
Q

What is selenium important for and what happens with deficiency and excess?

A

essential co-factor of glutathione peroxidase

deficiency = parental nutrition
excess - animals, poisoning

57
Q

What are the key ways of supplementing nutrition?

A

food supplements
enteral (using gut)
parenteral (using IV)

58
Q

What is enteral feeding?

A
nutrients delivered to the gut 
- stimulate gut hormones 
- helps maintain gut integrity 
- nutrients absorbed into portal circulation 
- more physiological than TPN 
there are different routes of delivery
59
Q

What are the indications for enteral nutrition?

A

disturbed swallowing e.g.MND
upper GI obstruction e.f. oesophageal stricture
Inability to eat e.g. head injury, critical illness
GI disease e.g. pancreatic insufficiency
High requirements e.g. burns, trauma
Loss of appetite e.g. anorexia nervosa, cardiac cachexia

60
Q

What are the sources of delivery of enteral feeds?

A

into the stomach

  • nasogastric or orogastric tube
  • gastrostomy
  • oesophagostomy

beyond stomach

  • nasoduodenal tube
  • jejunostomy
61
Q

How does TPN work?

A

via circulation therefore bypassess GIT and liver (1st pass metabolism)
3 chamber inner bag - glucose, amino acids and fat emulsion separately
- oxygen absorber and then overpouch (light sensitive)
- intralipid can cause fever, shivering, chills and N+V but rare

62
Q

What are the indications for TPN?

A

Lack of functioning GIT “intestinal failure”

  • blockage
  • reduced absorptive capability
  • temporary or permanent

the oral/enteral route will not maintain adequate nutrition - eg. premature infant

needs to rest GIT

  • gastroschisis prolonged diarrhoea
  • high output fistulae
  • anastomosis
63
Q

What are some causes of hypokalaemia?

A

insufficient for excessive losses/depletion

e.g. D+V, renal or anabolic phase i.e. refeeding, insulin or alkalosis

64
Q

What are some causes of hyperkalaemia?

A

renal failure, increase catabolism and cell breakdown, acidosis

65
Q

What are the causes of hyponatraemia?

A

pseudo due to lipaemia
increased ADH release and poor regulation of fluid balance
water overload/ Na loss
rarely high loss e.g. fistula, drain, renal
need low Na and H20 feed if hypo seconadry to ascites / oedema

66
Q

What are some causes of metabolic bone disease?

A

steroid use, SBS, inactivity, menopause

67
Q

What is refeeding syndrome?

A

consisting of metabolic disturbances that occur as a result of reinstitution of nutrition to patients who are starved, severly malnourished or metabolically stressed due to severe illness

when too much food and/or liquid nutrition supplement is consumed during initial 4-7 days of re-feeding => synthesis of glycogen, fat and protein in cells, to the detriment of serum conc of K, Mg and phosphorus

the low serum minerals, if severe enough can be fatal

68
Q

What patients are at risk of re-feeding syndrome?

A
pts with anorexia nervosa
pts with chronic alcoholism 
oncology pts
postoperative pts
elderly patients 
uncontrolled DM 
chronic malnutrition 
long term use of antacids 
long term use of diuretics
69
Q

What is calprotectin a sign for ?

A

used to investigate the cause persistent watery or blood diarrhoea
can be requested with stool culture to detect bacterial infection
-useful to determine if IBD or IBS

70
Q

What is faecal immunohistochemical test?

A

type of faecal occult blood test - uses antibodies that specifically recognise human hb
- used to detect and quantify the amount of blood in a single stool sample

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