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Serum and urinary methionine concentrations in severe hepatic failure of viral hepatitis Relevance to development of encephalopathy and prognosis
Author(s) -
Kaldor Jakov,
Spelman Denis W.,
Metcalf Wayne R.,
Lucas Charles R.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1986.tb101081.x
Subject(s) - methionine , urinary system , medicine , creatinine , urine , gastroenterology , viral hepatitis , encephalopathy , clinical significance , hepatic encephalopathy , cirrhosis , hepatitis a virus , coma (optics) , hepatitis , endocrinology , immunology , virus , biology , amino acid , biochemistry , physics , optics
A simple spectrophotometric method was developed to measure serum and urinary methionine concentrations. Serum methionine concentrations of greater than 200 μmol/L were found only in patients who were suffering from severe liver failure. In patients who died because of severe liver failure, a continuing increase in the methionine concentration was associated with a deteriorating mental state, while in patients who recovered the serum methionine concentration remained below 200 μmol/L during the coma stage. Urinary methionine to creatinine ratios above 300 were found only in specimens from patients who died. Sera and urine specimens from patients who were suffering from uncomplicated viral hepatitis showed no increase in methionine concentrations, while sera from patients with renal impairment and urinary specimens from patients who were suffering from chronic active hepatitis showed normal or only mildly elevated methionine concentrations.