Revisiting protein-losing enteropathy: a rare case of chorea

Abstract

Protein-losing enteropathy is an umbrella term for a diverse group of disorders causing uncompensated plasma protein loss into the gastrointestinal tract in the absence of kidney or liver disease. In a healthy individual, protein loss through the gastrointestinal tract is about 10% of the normal turnover.¹ Most plasma proteins in the gastrointestinal tract are broken down into amino acids and  reabsorbed. The liver can compensate for excessive protein loss by increasing its production by up to 2.7 times.² As soon as protein loss exceeds liver production, signs of protein-losing enteropathy develop. The molecular weight does not influence which proteins are lost; however, proteins with longer half-lives are most affected, whereas those with a rapid turnover are less affected.³ Depending on the cause, patients may also experience malabsorption of other compounds (e.g. fat and fat-soluble vitamins).