DECUBITUS ULCERS AND CACHEXIA--DIET AND CELL BIOLOGY

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There are two aspects of this study. One is a clinical dietary intervention study on the healing of decubiti. The second is a study of biological variables underlying the development of decubiti and cachexia. The project is designed to test the hypothesis that patients with cachexia, characterized by low lean body mass, anemia, hypoalbuminemia and/or hypocholesterolemia have impaired cell growth and metabolism because of low levels of circulating lipoproteins, low levels of a cellular growth factor, or elevated levels of an inhibitory factor. In vitro systems using fibroblast cell proliferation, measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA, is being used to assay plasma and sera from elderly subjects for growth-stimulatory or inhibitory substances. This project may give insight into the mechanisms causing weight loss and promoting the occurrence of decubitus skin ulcers in the elderly.