Patients with hematologic neoplasias are submitted to chemotherapeutic treatment that induces intense alterations in the integrity of the intestinal mucous membrane, favoring an increase in the morbimortality rate. The current work was developed in the Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit of the Oncology Research Center in Florianopolis and was aimed at studying the action of prebiotic agents on protein response in the acute phase of hematologic neoplastic patients submitted to chemotherapy. A double-blind randomized clinical trial was performed involving 25 patients divided into two groups. Patients received 12 g FOS (n=14) or placebo (maltdextrine) (n=11) over 15 days. All the variables were determined before and after supplementation. The serum levels of negative acute phase proteins, albumin and pre-albumin, and positive acute phase proteins, C-reactive protein, were evaluated. The presence of diarrhea and constipation are reported, as are the quantity of bifidobacteria and fecal pH measurements. Reductions in the serum levels of negative acute phase proteins (albumin and pre-albumin) show intense proteic catabolism thereby, favoring the synthesis of protein in the positive acute phase. The supplemented group presented with a significant increase in the quantity of bifidobacteria. The fecal pH levels were affected in both groups. The serum levels of positive acute phase proteins were statistically higher in the control group indicating the occurrence of inflammatory processes and a higher metabolic demand suggesting that the quantity of bifidobacteria may favor a reduction of these adverse conditions in the supplemented group as was confirmed by the negative correlation between variables.
Bifidobacterium; nutrition; hematologic neoplasia; acute phase proteins
