SERUM-ALBUMIN DISTRIBUTION IN EARLY TREATED ANOREXIA-NERVOSA

We investigated the effects of malnutrition and refeeding on albumin d istribution and metabolism in patients undergoing treatment for anorex ia nervosa. Using autologous I-125-labelled albumin, we measured the f ractional catabolic rate and calculated the relative sizes of the plas ma and extravascular albumin pools in 6 female anorexia nervosa subjec ts and 6 matched controls. We were unable to demonstrate any differenc es in either the catabolic rate of albumin (fractional or absolute) or in serum albumin concentration between anorexia nervosa and control s ubjects. There was a large expansion of the extravascular albumin pool in the anorexia nervosa subjects-36% when expressed in relation to bo dy weight. We conclude that, at the time of study, there were no effec ts of anorexia nervosa on albumin catabolism in these subjects. Howeve r, the condition and its treatment are associated with a significant r elative expansion of the extravascular albumin pool. This contrasts to some extent with previous work, which suggested that in protein deple tion the plasma albumin pool is maintained at the expense of the extra vascular albumin pool. The expansion of the extravascular albumin pool is possibly related to the relative excess of interstitial fluid seen in starvation and in the initial phases of refeeding.