title: Elevated cerebrospinal fluid histidine in alcohol withdrawal.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) histidine concentration was significantly elevated in seven patients early in the alcohol withdrawal syndrome (206.3 +/- 74.4 (SEM) nanomols/ml CSF). When these same patients were restudied an average of six days later when alcohol withdrawal was clinically resolved, their mean CSF histidine concentration continued to be significantly elevated (164.7 +/- 24.7) when compared to normal (12.0 +/- 0.5 nanomols/ml CSF). Other amino acids (aspartic acid, serine, alanine, methionine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine and arginine) showed no definite changes from normal, and no change during the course of alcohol withdrawal. Possible reasons for these high concentrations and the extreme variability (especially early in alcohol withdrawal) are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hawley
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schulman
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Major
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Poplack
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Catravas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006639:Histidine / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011604:Psychoses, Alcoholic / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D006639:Histidine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid