Serum and Immunological Parameters in the Assessment of Nutritional Status

Nutritional status is traditionally assessed by means of different indicators: clinical history and physical examination, anthropometry (weight, triceps skinfold midarm muscle circumference), body components (body fat, total body water, extracellular water, lean body mass), visceral proteins (albumin, transferrin, retinol binding protein, pre-albumin, fibronectin), immunoreactivity (delayed hypersensitivity response, complement components, lymphocyte count, immunoglobulins, leucocyte chemotaxis and phagocytosis) and functional tests (hand grip dynamometry, electrical stimulation).