Clinical significance of measuring plasma concentrations of glutamine and glutamate in alcoholic liver diseases.
We investigated the significance of assaying plasma glutamine and glutamate concentrations in various liver diseases. Comparison was made with an aminogram in non-alcoholic liver disease. In alcoholic liver diseases, the plasma glutamate concentration showed a statistically significant elevation compared to the value in non-alcoholic liver diseases. In contrast, the plasma glutamine concentration was elevated in non-alcoholic liver diseases but showed no elevation in alcoholic liver diseases. The glutamate (Glu)/glutamine (Gln) ratio and plasma gamma-GT level correlated well in patients of alcoholic liver diseases. The Glu/Gln ratio became normal after alcohol abstinence. The results suggest that measuring the plasma concentrations of glutamine and glutamate may be a useful method to estimate the pathophysiological state of patients with alcoholic liver diseases.
Tominaga
T
T
Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
Suzuki
H
H
Mizuno
H
H
Kouno
M
M
Suzuki
M
M
Kato
Y
Y
Sato
A
A
Okabe
K
K
Miyashita
M
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood; D005971:Glutamates / Q000097:blood*; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005973:Glutamine / Q000097:blood*; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D013695:Temperance; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D005971:Glutamates; D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase