Plasma levels of mevalonate and 7alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one in chronic liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
Cholesterol levels in blood tend to be preserved despite hepatic impairment, in contrast to albumin levels and other markers of liver function in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). We reported previously that the levels of plasma mevalonate (MVA) and 7alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7alpha3one) closely reflect hepatic synthetic rates of cholesterol and bile acids. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hepatic cholesterogenesis and bile acid synthesis in hepatocellular impairment using these indices.


METHODS
The plasma indices were measured in patients with LC (n = 38) or chronic hepatitis (CH; n = 11) and in normal controls (n = 22). The severity of LC was assessed by the Child-Pugh score.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in plasma MVA levels between CH, LC and control groups. However, plasma 7alpha3one levels were significantly lower in LC than in CH and control groups (P< 0.01). While MVA levels did not correlate with the Child-Pugh score, there was a significant correlation between 7alpha3one level and Child-Pugh score (P< 0.005). The plasma 7alpha3one level in controls correlated positively with MVA levels (P< 0.01); however, there was no significant correlation between these indices in CH and LC.


CONCLUSIONS
In chronic liver disease, there was a tendency for hepatic cholesterogenesis to be sustained in the face of hepatocellular impairment, while bile acid synthesis declined in parallel with the severity of impairment.
Division of Gastroenterology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
T
T
Yoshida
A
A
Honda
Y
Y
Matsuzaki
J
J
Shoda
M
M
Abei
N
N
Tanaka
T
T
Osuga
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002783:Cholestenones / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008798:Mevalonic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D015415:Biomarkers; D002783:Cholestenones; C002656:7 alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one; D002784:Cholesterol; D008798:Mevalonic Acid