Utilización de la citrulina plasmática como marcador de la función intestinal: aplicaciones en trasplante de intestino y otras enfermedades digestivas

the small bowel is responsible not only of the digestion and absorption of nutrients, but also of the metabolism of certain aminoacids, among then glutamine, the principal precursor of circulating plasma citrulline. the unique metabolism of citrulline has attracted scientific interest in reference to the clinical application as marker of intestinal function, and in some surgical procedures such as small bowel transplantation and extensive small bowel resections that lead to the short bowel syndrome. several markers of intestinal function have been proposed, but because their low sensitivity and specificity, besides their difficult clinical application, citrulline is showing as a good noninvasive tool for the evaluation of the mass and functionality of enterocytes. the aim of this review is to describe the importance of citrulline in the evaluation of certain digestive illnesses and surgical procedures, describing its metabolism, the applications in intestinal transplantation and the perspectives of clinical application in other digestive diseases.