title: Impaired release of vitamin A from liver in primary biliary cirrhosis.
abstract: In 44 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis serum levels of vitamin A, retinol-binding protein and transthyretin (prealbumin) were found to be significantly lower than in 25 sex- and age-matched controls. Liver biopsies were available for chemical analyses in 28 of the patients. Their mean liver vitamin A concentration (2.8 +/- 2.0 mumoles per gm wet weight) did not differ significantly from that in 22 cases of sudden death which served as controls (2.0 +/- 1.5 mumoles per gm wet weight). Immunohistochemical investigation showed a normal distribution of serum retinol-binding protein in the patients' livers, whereas the staining pattern of cellular retinol-binding protein, believed to be involved in the intrahepatic transport of vitamin A, was abnormal. Thus, the number size and cellular retinol-binding protein staining intensity of fat-storing (Ito) cells were clearly higher in the patients as compared with controls. The results suggest that the low serum vitamin A levels in primary biliary cirrhosis are not a consequence of vitamin A deficiency but instead reflect a defective mobilization of vitamin A from the liver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berne
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nordlinder
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lööf
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vahlquist
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000378:metabolism; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D054840:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Cellular; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011228:Prealbumin; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054840:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Cellular; D014801:Vitamin A