The Study
Effects of glutamine supplements and radiochemotherapy on systemic immune and gut barrier function in patients with advanced esophageal cancer.
This study gave some cancer patients a supplement and others didn’t, then checked if their immune system and gut worked better. It found a difference, but because so few people were in the study, we can’t be sure it wasn’t just luck.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Doctors gave a special amino acid called glutamine to some cancer patients getting chemo and radiation, and compared them to patients who didn’t get it.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 546 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The changes were statistically significant but it’s unclear if they actually helped patients feel better or survive longer.
- 2Patients who took 30 grams of glutamine daily had higher immune cell counts and less gut leakage (measured by urine test) after 7 days compared to those who didn’t take it.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Annals of surgery
Year
1998
Authors
S. Yoshida, M. Matsui, Y. Shirouzu, H. Fujita, H. Yamana, K. Shirouzu
Related Content
Claims (6)
Glutamine and malate provide energy directly to mitochondria in gut lining cells, which strengthens the barrier between the intestine and the rest of the body.
In patients with advanced esophageal cancer receiving radiochemotherapy, taking 30 grams of oral glutamine daily for 28 days is associated with measurable changes in lymphocyte count and gut permeability by day 7 compared to not taking glutamine, though the meaning of these changes for patient health is unclear.
In patients with advanced esophageal cancer undergoing radiochemotherapy, taking 30 grams of glutamine daily by mouth is associated with lower levels of phenolsulfonphthalein in urine, indicating reduced gut barrier permeability compared to not taking glutamine.
In a small study, people with advanced esophageal cancer who took 30 grams of glutamine daily during radiation and chemotherapy did not report any adverse events, but this does not prove the supplement is safe.
Patients with advanced esophageal cancer receiving radiochemotherapy and taking 30 grams of oral glutamine daily have higher lymphocyte counts and stronger lymphocyte responses to mitogens than those not taking glutamine.
A study with only 13 patients tested whether taking glutamine pills affects immune and gut barrier function during cancer treatment, but the study design was too small and not blinded to draw reliable conclusions.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.