A changed view of serum prealbumin in the elderly: prealbumin values influenced by concomitant inflammation.

Abstract

AIMS: We are currently witnessing changes in views on the evaluation of serum proteins. A decrease may signal not only malnutrition. It may also be an indicator of simultaneously occurring inflammatory disease. Prealbumin, due to its short half-life, is a suitable indicator of changes in protein-energy balance, but its levels show, as with other serum proteins, a decrease in the case of inflammation too. The present study aimed to determine the prealbumin values of hospitalized geriatric patients and how they are affected by inflammatory disease. METHODS: In 101 patients aged over 80 years, the relationships were compared between prealbumin and C-reactive protein in the whole group and then in the subgroups with normal and increased C-reactive protein. RESULTS: In 67.33 % of hospitalized geriatric patients prealbumin was below the limit of the norm. A statistically highly significant dependence (p < 0.001) was demonstrated between a decrease in prealbumin and an increase in C-reactive protein in the whole group. In the subgroup with normal C-reactive protein, no statistically significant decrease in prealbumin was demonstrated, whereas in the subgroup with increased C-reactive protein a significant decrease in prealbumin (p < 0.001 for the whole group, p < 0.01 men, p < 0.05 women) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated subnormal mean initial values of prealbumin and a highly statistically significant negative correlation between a decrease in prealbumin and an increase in C-reactive protein in the whole group. We confirm that in inflammation there is a statistically significant decrease in serum concentration of prealbumin.