EVALUATION OF NUTRITIONAL-STATUS BY IMMUNOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IN BULIMIA-NERVOSA - INFLUENCE OF BODY-MASS INDEX AND VOMITING EPISODES

The nutritional status of 21 patients suffering from bulimia nervosa w as evaluated by anthropometric and immunologic indexes in comparison w ith a control group (n = 15). In addition, the influence of body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) values and vomiting episodes on the nutritiona l status of bulimic patients was assessed. Anthropometry showed no sig ns of malnutrition in either group, except for those patients with low weights (BMI < 19). Bulimic patients had lower lymphocyte counts than did control subjects, except for those without vomiting (NVBN). All T lymphocyte subsets tested as well as CD57 cells were lower (22% and 5 5%, respectively) in bulimic patients than in control subjects, but th e CD19 cell subset remained unmodified. The low-weight bulimic group ( LWBN) had lower CD4 cell counts than did the normal-weight (BMI > 19) bulimic group. The NVBN group had lymphocyte subpopulations similar to those in the control group, except for CD57, which was lower. The bul imic patients with vomiting had the lowest cell subset values. These r esults suggest a depleted nutritional status in all bulimic patients s tudied, even those with normal weights. The LWBN group had the most de pleted nutritional status and the NVBN group was least affected at a s ubclinical level. CD57 can be considered a good marker of nutritional status in this syndrome because it was the only subpopulation altered in all groups.