Twelve serum protein profiles in children with acute nonbacterial gastroenterocolitis

Abstract

In thirty children hospitalized with acute benign, short-duration gastroenterocolitis, no obligate pathogens were isolated from stools. Five bleedings were established from each patient in order to obtain the protein profiles of albumin, orosomucoid, haptoglobin, alpha2-macroglobulin, ceruloplasmin, transferrin, C3-component, C-reactive protein, immunglobulins IgG, IgA, IgM and IgD. The proteins were quantitated by the single radial immunodiffusion method. The initial drop in some of the proteins followed may be related to general protein loss, negative nitrogen balance or hemodilution. The absence of a significant increase in all the investigated immunoglobulin classes contrasted with remarkable increase in haptoglobin and orosomucoid, both reaching normal levels in late convalescence. C-reactive protein could be demonstrated in half of the children showing early normalization with disappearance of clinical symptoms. In contrast to ceruloplasmin and C3- component, alpha2-macroglobulin was not involved in the acute phase protein reaction.