title: [Changes in the levels of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in chronic alcoholic patients].
abstract: Medical and biochemical analysis were performed on 58 patients with chronic alcoholism. In accordance with medical characterisation, patients were divided in three groups: A (patients having only hepatopathy), B (patients with hepatopathy and neuropathy) and C (patients having only alcoholic neuropathy). Simultaneously, several parameters related to heme biosynthesis were examined. Urinary delta-aminolevulic acid (ALA), porphobilinogen (PBG) and porphyrins and fecal porphyrins measurements did not show significant difference among all studied groups. The activities of ALA-dehydratase (ALA-D), uroporphyrinogen-I-synthase (URO-I-S) and uroporphyrinogen-III-synthase (URO-III-S) were monitored in peripheral erythrocytes. From the enzymes measured, only ALA-D levels in groups B and C were significantly depressed (p < 0.002) compared with normal subjects. The decrease in ALA-D correlated with the degree of neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Wider
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferranti
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Mozzarelli
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Giancarlo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González Della Valle
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cimmino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Movia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase
vernacular_title: Modificaciones de los niveles de ácido delta aminolevúlico dehidrasa en pacientes alcohólicos crónicos.