[Evaluation of plasma carnitine levels after orthotopic transplantation of the liver].
Variations in plasma levels of total carnitine (TC), free carnitine (FC), and acyl-carnitine (AC) were studied in 10 patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. The postoperative values were higher than the preoperative ones and positively related to time flow. As exogenous carnitine was not supplied during the study, these data suggested a better biosynthetic activity in the transplanted liver, in spite of standard blood tests results. No positive correlation between carnitine levels and variations in serum transaminases, bilirubin, cholestasis related enzymes, pre-albumin and albumin supply was found. Carnitine plasma levels were not influenced either by nutritional caloric input or by methionine and lysine inputs. Our results show that variations in carnitine plasma levels are a specific and responsive index of functional recovery in the transplanted liver.
Iapichino
G
G
Ronzoni
G
G
Bresolin
N
N
Galmarini
D
D
Bordoni
A
A
Prato
P
P
Socciarelli
L
L
Damia
G
G
D000328:Adult; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male
D002331:Carnitine
Valutazione dei livelli plasmatici di carnitina dopo trapianto ortotopico di fegato.