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Protein Deficiency MeSH Descriptor Data 2026


MeSH Heading
Protein Deficiency
Tree Number(s)
C18.654.521.500.708
Unique ID
D011488
RDF Unique Identifier
http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D011488
Annotation
deficiency of dietary protein, not genetic defic of specific proteins; consider also PROTEIN-CALORIE MALNUTRITION
Scope Note
A nutritional condition produced by a deficiency of proteins in the diet, characterized by adaptive enzyme changes in the liver, increase in amino acid synthetases, and diminution of urea formation, thus conserving nitrogen and reducing its loss in the urine. Growth, immune response, repair, and production of enzymes and hormones are all impaired in severe protein deficiency. Protein deficiency may also arise in the face of adequate protein intake if the protein is of poor quality (i.e., the content of one or more amino acids is inadequate and thus becomes the limiting factor in protein utilization). (From Merck Manual, 16th ed; Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 12th ed, p406)
Entry Version
PROTEIN DEFIC
Entry Term(s)
Deficiency, Protein
NLM Classification #
QU 55.4
Date Introduced
1966/01/01
Last Updated
2019/05/24
Protein Deficiency Preferred
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