Increased oxidative metabolism of paracetamol in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Oxidative metabolism (OM) of paracetamol was studied in 19 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 39 with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHBV) and 26 healthy controls. Paracetamol (1.5 g) was given and the subsequent 24 h urine collection assayed for paracetamol and its metabolites by HPLC. HCC patients showed greatly increased OM, as reflected by the combined fractional recoveries of mercapturic acid and cysteine conjugates (22%), in comparison with controls (7%) and CHBV patients (10%). As the cytochrome P-450 dependent OM of xenobiotics has been implicated in carcinogenesis, it is interesting that two CHBV patients also had increased OM.
Leung
N W
NW
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories.
Critchley
J A
JA
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003545:Cysteine / Q000652:urine; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012016:Reference Values
D000082:Acetaminophen; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D003545:Cysteine; D000111:Acetylcysteine