Moreover, serum albumin was within the normal range in most cases, and the 11 patients with serum albumin <3 g/dL were characterized by low Charlson index (median 4, range 2–9) and high proteinuria (median 5.6, min-max: 1.1–10.9 g/day), suggesting that this was most likely an effect of the kidney disease and not of malnutrition. This evidence concerns the gene ALB and malnutrition.