Studies on Amino Acid Excretion in Man. V. Chronic Ulcerative Colitis and Regional Enteritis 1

The depletion of body protein complicating chronic ulcerative colitis and regional enteritis (1) may be attributed to a combination of factors.These include the insufficient intake of food, the increased catabolism of protein during fever and possibly the loss of nitrogen in the tissue fluids, blood and purulent exudate from the diseased bowel; decreased synthesis of protein resulting from concomitant impairment of hepatic function may be a contributory factor.Direct studies of this problem have been made only occasionally.Welch, Adams and Wakefield (2) noted increased fecal outputs of nitrogen and negative nitrogen bal- ances in three patients with ulcerative colitis.Sappington and Bockus (3) obtained evidence of previous protein depletion in five patients with the disease.The large outputs of nitrogen in the ileostomy drainage in four of seven patients with ulcerative colitis (4), the decreased absorption of a protein hydrolysate from closed loops of jejunum