Plasma and urinary amino acid pattern in severe burn patients-evolution throughout the healing period

Plasma and urinary amino acids were measured in 12 severely burned adults (20% of body surface area or more). Measurements were made on the day of injury, and seven times thereafter until the 28th day after trauma. During the first 7 days, a decrease in plasma concentrations of some glucose precursor amino acids and an increase of phenylalanine were observed. Plasma concentrations of branched-chain amino acids, proline, ornithine, lysine, and tyrosine remained unchanged until the 3rd wk, then rose markedly. Plasma aspartate, hydroxyproline, and methionine were unchanged throughout the study. Urinary output increased in varying degrees for each amino acid considered. Urinary isoleucine was the only amino aicd that did not increase after burn trauma.