Correlation between albuminuria and positively charged amino acids in gastrointestinal cancer

This study was designed to examine a possible relationship between plasma free positively charged amino acid concentrations and the degree of microalbuminuria in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. In 42 consecutive patients (22 men and 20 women), comprised of 25 with histologically proven colorectal or gastric cancer, 9 controls and 8 weight-losing patients with benign gastrointestinal disease urinary albumin and plasma amino acid analysis was performed. Microalbuminuria was more prevalent in weight-losing cancer patients (65%) compared with their weight-stable counterparts, benign gastrointestinal patients and controls. This difference reached statistical significance at the 5% level. Additionally, a significant positive correlation (rs = 0.8, p < 0.05) was observed between ornithine and urinary albumin loss in this group of patients. This study suggests that plasma free amino acid alterations in weight-losing gastrointestinal cancer patients may have an effect on renal tubular protein reabsorption.