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Objectives To assess the influence of abnormalities in fluid status and body composition on agreement between multifrequency bioimpedance analysis (MF-BIA), segmental BIA (ΣBIA), the Watson formula, and tracer dilution techniques. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Multicenter. Patients 40 patients (29 males, 11 females) on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Main Outcome Measures Agreement between the various techniques used to assess total body water (TBW) [MF-BIA, deuterium oxide (D2O), and the Watson formula] and extracellular water (ECW) [MF-BIA, bromide dilution (NaBr), and ΣBIA], also in relation to the relative magnitude of the body water compartments [ECW (NaBr):body weight (BW) and TBW (D2O):BW] and body composition (DEXA). Second, the relation between body water compartments with echocardiographic parameters. Results Wide limits of agreement were observed between tracer dilution techniques and MF-BIA [TBW (D2O – MF-BIA) 2.0 ± 3.9 L; ECW (NaBr – MF-BIA) –2.8 ± 3.9 L], which were related to the relative magnitude of the body water compartments: r = 0.70 for ECW and r = 0.40 for TBW. ΣBIA did not improve the agreement [ECW (NaBr – ΣBIA): 3.7 ± 2.9 L]. Also, wide limits of agreement were observed between D2O and the Watson formula (–2.3 ± 3.3 L). The difference between D2O and Watson was related to hydration state and to percentage of fat mass ( r = 0.70 and r = –0.53, p < 0.05). Both ECW and TBW as assessed by BIA and tracer dilution were related to echocardiographic parameters. Conclusion Wide limits of agreement were found between MF-BIA and ΣBIA with dilution methods in PD patients, which were related to hydration state itself. The disagreement between the Watson formula and dilution methods was related to both hydration state and body composition.

1. During infusion of [5-15N]glutamine in patients with gastrointestinal cancer we unexpectedly observed a gradual decrease in time of the appearance rate (Ra) of glutamine in plasma. Here we investigate whether the failure to achieve a plateau isotopic enrichment in plasma is, among other factors, due to incomplete equilibration of the glutamine tracer with the large intramuscular free glutamine pool.2. Plasma and intramuscular glutamine enrichment were measured during 6-11 h infusions of L-[5-15N]glutamine and L-[1-13C]glutamine in post-absorptive patients admitted to hospital for elective abdominal surgery. L-[1-13C]Leucine and L-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine were infused to measure the proportion of glutamine appearing in plasma directly due to its release from protein.3. The glutamine tracer entered muscle, but the rise in intramuscular glutamine enrichment was small, presumably as a result of the enormous size of the intramuscular glutamine pool and the limited speed of entry of glutamine into muscle. In each patient the intramuscular glutamine enrichment was lower than that in plasma (P<0.001), and both increased with tracer infusion time (P<0.001), indicating incomplete equilibration of the glutamine tracer.4.A comparison of the results obtained by the two glutamine tracers indicated that recycling of the nitrogen label contributed to about 15% of the decrease in Ra.5. There was a gradual reduction in the glutamine release from proteolysis, which contributed to 16-21% of the decline in Ra.6. We conclude that slow equilibration of the glutamine tracer with the large muscle glutamine pool significantly contributes to the absence of isotopic steady state. Consequently, the appearance rate of glutamine in plasma measured during short tracer infusion periods (hours) considerably overestimates the whole-body glutamine flux.

BIS with the use of mixture equations overestimates fluid losses during weight loss. The error is associated with the amount of fat loss. The large contribution of the factor weight in the mixture equations is likely to be responsible. The assumptions of mixture theory are not valid in obesity.

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