[Endogenous ethanol production in patients with liver cirrhosis, motor alteration and bacterial overgrowth].
BACKGROUND
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth generates endogenous ethanol production both in experimental animals and humans. Patients with cirrhosis have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, but endogenous ethanol production has not been studied in them.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate endogenous ethanol production in patients with cirrhosis, altered intestinal motility and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.


METHODS
Eight patients with cirrhosis of different etiologies and altered gastrointestinal motility, consisting in changes in the migrating motor complex, were studied. All had also small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, measured by means of the H2 breath test with lactulose. Plasma ethanol levels were measured by gas liquid chromatography in fasting conditions and 120 min after a carbohydrate rich meal.


RESULTS
In fasting conditions, no patient had endogenous ethanol production. Alter the meal, ethanol in concentrations of 11.3 and 8.2 mg/del were detected in two patients. Negligible amounts of ethanol were detected in 4 patients and two patients had undetectable alcohol levels.


CONCLUSIONS
A low endogenous production of ethanol was demonstrated in six of eight patients with cirrhosis.
Madrid
Ana María
AM
Sección Gastroenterología, Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Santos Dumont 999, Santiago-Chile. amadrid@ns.hospital.uchile.cl
Hurtado
Carmen
C
Gatica
Sara
S
Chacón
Inelia
I
Toyos
Ana
A
Defilippi
Carlos
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000431:Ethanol