Feeding Behavior and Taste Sensitivity Before and After Liver or Renal Transplantation

Background and Aims: Protein-energy malnutrition is associated to cirrhosis with a high prevalence and greatly increases the morbidity and mortality of the disease. Malnutrition results of numerous causes including intestinal malabsorption, increased energy resting expenditure, metabolism disturbances, impaired sensory taste and changes in food preferences which might participate to a reduction in food intake. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships that may exist between taste sensitivity and food preferences on the one hand, eating habits, nutritional status, energy balance and biological parameters including amino acids on the other hand in patients with end-stage cirrhosis and in patients with renal failure.

Fifteen end-stage cirrhotic patients and 15 renal failure patients will be included and matched with 30 healthy subjects. The following parameters will be evaluated during a morning testing session: gustatory sensitivity using a triangular detection threshold method for sweet, salty and umami solutions; preferences for fat- and carbohydrate-rich foods using the PrefQuest score; liking for six foods (protein-, carbohydrate- and fat-rich foods) and wanting for 18 foods (photographs); hunger sensation; energy intake (24 h ingested food); body composition (BMI and impedancemetry); resting energy expenditure (indirect calorimetry) and physical activity (questionnaire). Several plasmatic parameters (amino-acids, leptin, ghrelin, lipid profile) will be also determined.