• D A de Luis, M Arranz, R Aller, O Izaola, L Cuellar, and M C Terroba.
• Institute of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Medicine School and Unit of Investigation Hospital Rio Hortega, Spain. Dadluis@yahoo.es
• Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jan 1;59(1):145-7.

AbstractThe aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of enteral nutrition supplemented with arginine in inflammatory markers in surgical head and neck cancer patients. A population of 29 patients with oral and laryngeal cancer were enrolled in a randomized trial. At surgery patients were randomly allocated to two groups: (a) patients receiving an enteral diet supplements with arginine (group I, n=14); (b) patients receiving an isocaloric, isonitrogenous enteral formula (group II, n=15). The mean age was 61.1+/-10.8 y (five females/24 males). Characteristics of the patients on enrollment were similar for the two groups. Prealbumin and transferrin improved in both groups. c-reactive protein (CRP) levels decreased in both groups, (group I: 134.5+/-62.5 vs 75.3+/-51 mg/dl:P<0.05) and (group II: 103.6+/-62 vs 43.8+/-34.4 mg/dl:P<0.05). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) improved in both groups (group I: 20.35+/-11.2 vs 6.7+/-3.1 pg/ml:P<0.05) and (group II:22.8+/-40 vs 9.9+/-17.7 pg/ml:ns). Tumoral necrosis factor alpha and lymphocytes did not change. In conclusion, both formulas improved IL-6 and CRP levels. Further studies are needed to determine whether type of formula is the key in these patients or genetic background play a main role in inflammatory response.

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