Protein malnutrition in gastro-intestinal disease

Dipeptidase deficiency and malabsorption of glycylglycine in disease states

“…Nitrogen balance studies have also shown that in this condition nitrogen absorption may be as low as 30% even on very low protein intake, and in the initial stages of recovery faecal losses of nitrogen may be large (Linder, Hansen, and Karabus, 1963). Neale (1968) has reviewed the causes of protein malnutrition due to gastrointestinal disease in the adult, and suggested the possibility of reduced intestinal as well as pancreatic proteolytic enzymes in states of protein malnutrition, causing inadequate digestion and absorption, which may often coexist with inadequate protein intake. In this connexion, the finding of depressed levels in four out of nine patients with Crohn's disease merits further investigation.…”