title: [The blood level of gamma-aminobutyric acid in patients with liver cirrhosis and portacaval anastomosis].
abstract: Venous blood was collected from 21 patients with liver cirrhosis and portocaval anastomosis for routine laboratory tests and determination of GABA levels by radioreceptor assay. The patients additionally underwent psychometric tests for determining the degree of hepatic encephalopathy. No differences were seen in psychometric tests and laboratory parameters between patients and normals. However, GABA serum levels showed a 10-fold increase and the difference was highly significant. The fact that these patients did not show any signs of hepatic encephalopathy is probably due to an intact blood-brain barrier that prevents the uncontrolled influx of GABA. Therefore, not even high GABA serum levels are associated with symptoms of encephalopathy.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Anaesthesiologie und operative Intensivmedizin, Klinikum Steglitz der Freien Universität Berlin.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Kretz
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Löscher
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dillinger
mesh_terms: D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D011167:Portacaval Shunt, Surgical; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
vernacular_title: Der Serumspiegel der Gamma-Aminobuttersäure bei Patienten mit Leberzirrhose und portocavaler Anastomose.