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Ethanol Consumption, Amino Acid and Glutathione Blood Levels in Patients With and Without Chronic Liver Disease
Author(s) -
Loguercio C.,
Vecchio Blanco F.,
Girolamo V.,
Disalvo D.,
Nardi G.,
Parente A.,
Vecchio Blanco C.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1999.tb04073.x
Subject(s) - glutathione , cirrhosis , amino acid , methionine , glycine , alcoholic liver disease , chemistry , cysteine , medicine , liver disease , biochemistry , glutamic acid , endocrinology , enzyme
Background : Ethanol abuse and liver cirrhosis cause a reduction of glutathione blood levels; liver cirrhosis induces an alteration of the plasma amino acid pattern. We evaluated whether or not ethanol abuse affects amino acid levels, particularly those that are involved in metabolizing glutathione in the plasma and erythrocytes of chronic alcohol abusers with or without liver cirrhosis. Methods :. We studied 10 chronic alcohol abusers without liver cirrhosis, 10 with alcoholic cirrhosis, 10 affected by hepatitis C virus‐related cirrhosis, and 10 healthy subjects. Glutathione, γ‐glutamyl‐cysteine, and cysteine were determined by fluorescent HPLC, glutamic acid, glycine, and other free amino acids by cation exchange chromatography both in the plasma and erythrocytes of all studied subjects. Results and Conclusions : In both alcoholics and cirrhotics, we found a significant increase of plasma‐aromatic amino acid and methionine levels, whereas glutathione was significantly reduced. The erythrocytes of these patients showed a significant increase of cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine; γ‐glutamyl‐cysteine was normal; and glutathione and other free amino acids were significantly decreased. Data suggest that, independent of liver cirrhosis, ethanol abuse affects the metabolism of amino acids and glutathione in both the plasma and the erythrocytes.