Serum Prealbumin, Retinol-Binding Protein, Transferrin, and Albumin Levels in Patients With Large Bowel Cancer2

Abstract

In a study of the levels of serum prealbumin (PALB), retinol-binding protein (RBP), transferrin (TF), and albumin (ALB) in patients with large bowel cancer, critical values were established as (g/liter): PALB, 0.15; RBP, 40×10⁻³, ^ TF, 2.0; and ALB, 30. Values consistently below these were taken as a sign of malnutrition. The proteins in this system were interrelated and tended to show a similar pattern of change. Metastatic colon cancer caused a relatively small decline of ALB compared to the mean in tumor-free patients. PALB was the most sensitive indicator of nutrition, and its levels and rates of change had a prognostic significance. A rapid fall of PALB often occurred 2–3 months prior to the patient's death; this preterminal phase in ambulant patients was frequently heralded by a progressive rise in the level of C-reactive protein in the absence of any obvious infection.