Aggressive oncological chemotherapy often impairs the nutritional status of tumor patients. To evaluate the pathogenetic mechanisms, food intake in 13 cancer patients was investigated in correlation with nitrogen losses, N balances, muscle wasting, and weight course, during cytostatic therapy. Median daily N and energy intakes were reduced only in patients with weight loss [0.55 g protein, 16.5 kcal/kg ideal body wt (IBW)]. Patients with constant weight had the same intake as control subjects (1.27 g protein, 37.2 kcal IBW). N balances and creatinine height index (CHI) correlated with daily nutrient intake. Fecal N excretions did not correlate with urinary losses; there was no excess of fecal N loss because of cytostatic treatment. The impairment of cancer patients' nutritional status seems to depend primarily on the decrease of spontaneous oral intake as a consequence of the side effects of tumor therapy. Changes in CHI, compared before and after chemotherapy, indicated muscle wasting of weight-losing patients.

The results of one- and two-dimensional echocardiography in 151 patients (139 males, 12 females; median age 37 years) who were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 were analyzed in addition to clinical and laboratory data. Echocardiographie abnormalities probably related to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 were identified in 31 patients (20%): pericardial effusions (n = 29) and left ventricular dilation (n = 4). Compared to patients with normal échocardiographie findings, patients with échocardiographie abnormalities had lower mean T4 lymphocyte counts (142 ± 148 vs. 280 ± 231/µl; p < 0.001), the proportion of hospitalized patients was higher (16/31 vs. 33/107; p < 0.05), and active concomitant diseases were more frequently found (22/31 vs. 39/107; p < 0.001). T4 lymphocyte counts < 100/µl could be identified as a risk factor for the development of cardiac manifestations. There was no difference in the mortality of patients with and without échocardiographie abnormalities.

No abstract

No abstract