title: Urinary levels of gamma-carboxyglutamic acid and its clinical significance.
abstract: Urinary gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (gamma-Gla) levels were determined in healthy subjects of all ages. The urinary gamma-Gla levels were highest in infants (0-1 years), then fell in an age-dependent manner, again in subjects reaching a minimum value in adults, then gradually increased over 60 years of age. Urinary gamma-Gla levels therefore change markedly with aging. The relationships between the urinary gamma-Gla excretion and plasma levels of prothrombin and protein C in patients with various hepatic diseases or diabetes mellitus were examined and compared with those in healthy adults. Both plasma prothrombin and protein C levels were decreased in all patients with liver disease compared with healthy adults. In patients with hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, the decrease did not, however, affect the gamma-Gla excretion. In addition, in patients with hepatoma or carcinoma with liver metastases, the urinary gamma-Gla levels were increased. In patients with diabetes mellitus, the urinary gamma-Gla levels and plasma levels of prothrombin and protein C tended to increase, but this was not significant. The present results indicate that simultaneous measurement of the levels of urinary gamma-Gla and plasma prothrombin and protein C is a useful tool for the diagnosis of liver diseases and diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Tonan Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumiya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokumitsu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takada
mesh_terms: D015055:1-Carboxyglutamic Acid / Q000652:urine*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000652:urine*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011486:Protein C / Q000032:analysis*; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011486:Protein C; D015055:1-Carboxyglutamic Acid; D011516:Prothrombin