Evaluation of glutamine-enhanced enteral nutritional support by gastro-duodenal route in the patients after total gastrectomy        LIU Hua, LING Wei, SHEN Zhi-yong, et al. Department of General Surgery, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
Corresponding author：CAO Hui, E-mail: housman111@yahoo.com.cn
Abstract    Objective    To evaluate glutamine-enhanced enteral nutritional support by gastro-duodenal route in the patients after total gastrectomy.  Methods    From October 2006 to February 2009, 72 patients receiving total gastrectomy at Department of General Surgery, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were selected. They were randomly divided into 3 groups: glutamine-enhanced enteral nutrition (EN+Gln) group, enteral nutrition (EN) group and the control group. The patients received nutrition support within 48 h after operation for 7 days. The occurance of postoperative complication and hospitalization duration were compared. Besides serum total protein, albumin, proalbumin and transferrin were measured 1 day before operation, the 3rd day and the 12th day after operation. And on the 7th day after operation, NK cells, CD4+T and CD8+T cells, IgM and IgG levels in peripheral blood were measured. Results    The occurrence of postoperative complication and hospitalization duration in the EN+Gln and EN group were fewer than those in the control group. The postoperative serum level of total protein, albumin, proalbumin and transferrin on the 3rd day after operation of all groups decreased significantly(P<0.05) while those data of EN+Gln and EN group on the 14th day after operation were significantly higher than those of the control group. On the 7th day after operation NK cells, CD4+T cells, IgM and IgG levels of the EN+Gln group increased prominently and significantly higher than those of EN and the control group.  Conclusion    For the patients receiving total gastrectomy, perioperative glutamine-enhanced nutritional support can improve nutrition and immune status and reduce the incidence of postoperative complication and hospital stay.