Effect of Early Postoperative Intravenous Glutamine Supplementation on the Outcome after Colorectal Cancer Surgery

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and constitutes 61% of the total pool of amino acids in the human muscle. It is the most important circulating “nitrogen shuttle” accounting for 30%-35% of all amino acid nitrogen transported in the blood and serves as important precursor for the de novo synthesis of nucleotides, nucleic acids, amino sugars, proteins, and glutathione. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of intravenous glutamine supplementation on the postoperative complication rate and duration of hospital stay in colorectal cancer patients. Patients and Methods: Type of Study: Prospective analytic study, study Setting: Ain-Shams University Hospitals and Tanta Cancer Institute, Study Period: from May 2018 to December 2018, Study Population: Patients underwent colorectal cancer surgery. Results: In our study, the median C-reactive protein levels were significantly lower from day 7 in glutamine group in comparison with control group but still higher than normal range. At days 10 and 14, the CRP level reached the normal range. These suggests the positive effects of glutamine in relieving the stress response in colon cancer patients. The detected high C-reactive protein levels could result from the presence of some factors that affect the CRP levels like fever, leukocytosis, the surgical maneuver and the presence of inflammation.