Taurine supplementation in infants receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition.

Twenty-one children and 23 adults receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for 27 +/- 23 (SD) months were investigated to determine if they were taurine-deficient because the TPN solutions were taurine-free. The fasting plasma taurine level was reduced in the children to 26 + 13 mumol/liter vs the control 57 +/- 16 mumol/liter (P greater than 0.001). The plasma taurine level was significantly reduced in those adults who absorbed less than 25% of their nutritional needs from their diet. Electroretinograms were abnormal in each of eight children who were examined; isolated cone and rod implicit times were both significantly delayed. Electroretinograms were not abnormal in those adults with low plasma taurine levels. Taurine was added to the TPN solutions of four children, and the plasma taurine level became normal in each of them. Electroretinograms of three of these children became normal. One year after discontinuing intervenous taurine supplementation, the plasma taurine level became abnormal in two of three children. These observations indicate that children, and possibly adults, receiving long-term TPN have a nutritional requirement for taurine.