Hormone and metabolite profiles in alcoholic liver disease.
Circulating hormone and metabolite profiles have been studied in ten patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, five patients with alcoholic hepatitis and/or fatty liver, and nine normal controls over a 12-h period of meals and activity. Blood glucose was elevated throughout the day in both cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic alcoholics (mean 12-h glucose; controls 5.38 +/- 0.16 (SEM) mmol/l; cirrhotics 6.98 +/- 0.30 mmol/l, P less than 0.001; non-cirrhotics 7.18 +/- 0.26 mmol/l, P less than 0.001). Non-cirrhotic alcoholics had an exaggerated insulin response to meals, whereas cirrhotic patients had hyperinsulinaemia throughout the day (mean 12-h insulin; controls 16.3 +/- 2.3 mU/l; cirrhotics 35.8 +/- 6.6 mU/l, P less than 0.02). Growth hormone levels were elevated only in patients with cirrhosis (mean 12-h growth hormone, 7.06 +/- 1.35 v. 0.85 +/- 0.17 micrograms/l, P less than 0.001). Serum cortisol was persistently elevated in cirrhotics but only in the evening in non-cirrhotic alcoholics. Lactate and pyruvate responses to meals were exaggerated in non-cirrhotic patients whereas in cirrhotics, levels were persistently raised. Blood glycerol was elevated in all alcoholic patients whereas ketone body levels were normal. Hypertriglyceridaemia was observed only in non-cirrhotic patients. No relationship between the endocrine and metabolic state was observed in either cirrhotic or non-cirrhotic patients.
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005990:Glycerol / Q000097:blood; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D019344:Lactic Acid; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000097:blood; D019289:Pyruvic Acid
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D007773:Lactates; D011773:Pyruvates; D019344:Lactic Acid; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005990:Glycerol; D006854:Hydrocortisone