SERUM TRACE ELEMENTS AS NUTRITIONAL MARKERS IN A CASE WITH ACUTE AORTIC DISSECTION

Serum trace elements were analyzed by PIXE method in a patient with acute aortic dissection during the supportive process by a Nutrition support team (NST). The patient was a 53-year old male who suffered from acute aortic dissection on March 1, 2007. He received emergent Bentall operation and bow pars total displacement. Since he suffered from diarrhea as a result of hypoalbuminemia and bowel dysfunction, enteral nutrition was not sufficient to maintain adequate intake. Therefore, we also used parenteral nutrition until the 97th disease day. Afterwards, the patient managed only with enteral nutrition. We measured serum trace elements during these periods. Serum trace elements such as Fe, Zn and Se were preserved within normal ranges. On the other hand, Cu gradually decreased until the 54th disease day (44 μg/l) and stayed in the lower levels around the detection limit until the 109th disease day. Thereafter, Cu slightly increased and reached 117 μg/l on the 131st disease day (reference range of serum Cu in adult males: 700~1,300 μg/l). It was suggested that the serum levels of these trace elements might reflect the nutritional stages of the patient and could be useful as clinical markers for nutritional therapies.