title: Clinical significance of measuring plasma concentrations of glutamine and glutamate in alcoholic liver diseases.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kouno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyashita
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005971:Glutamates; D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase