Determination of plasma alpha-glutathione-S-transferases in chronic alcohol abusers: relationship with alcohol intake and liver involvement
| Autor: | F Argenzio, A Grella, Antonio Cuomo, D. Disalvo, C. Iannotta, Carmela Loguercio, V. De Girolamo, C. Del Vecchio Blanco |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Loguercio, Carmelina, DE GIROLAMO, V, Cuomo, A, Argenzio, F, Iannotta, Carmela, Disalvo, D, Grella, A, DEL VECCHIO BLANCO, C. |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 1998 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Pathology medicine.medical_specialty Cirrhosis Alpha (ethology) Alcohol abuse Statistics Nonparametric chemistry.chemical_compound Liver Function Tests Liver Cirrhosis Alcoholic Internal medicine Medicine Humans Chromatography High Pressure Liquid Glutathione Transferase Analysis of Variance Ethanol medicine.diagnostic_test business.industry General Medicine Glutathione Middle Aged medicine.disease Endocrinology chemistry Toxicity Female Analysis of variance business Liver function tests Biomarkers |
| Popis: | Alpha-gluthathione-S-transferases (alpha-GSTs) are enzymes involved in the cellular detoxifying processes; elevated circulating alpha-GSTs activity is considered to be an early index of liver damage. Glutathione (GSH) is the substrate for alpha-GST action.(1) to evaluate plasma GSH levels and alpha-GST activity in chronic alcohol abusers with or without liver cirrhosis; (2) to define the relationship between these two biochemical parameters; (3) to establish their clinical relevance in patients with alcohol abuse and/or liver damage. We studied 69 subjects (18 healthy subjects and 51 chronic alcohol abusers: 29 without liver cirrhosis and 22 with). Plasma alpha-GST activity was determined on baseline samples and every following day for a total of 10 days in five alcoholics by HEPKIT (Alpha-Biotech, Biotrin International, Dublin, Ireland). GSH was determined on all subjects' baseline samples by fluorescent high-performance liquid chromatography. Alcohol intake was evaluated in all patients by determining blood-alcohol concentrations. Significant increases in plasma alpha-GSTs were observed in 9/29 (31%) alcoholics and 3/22 (13.6%) cirrhotics irrespective of their alcohol intake. GSH was significantly lower than normal values (P0.001) in all alcoholics with or without cirrhosis (controls 10.4 +/- 4.8; alcoholics without cirrhosis 3.9 +/- 1.4; alcoholics with cirrhosis 3.3 +/- 1.6). No correlation was observed between plasma alpha-GST and GSH levels. Our data indicate that: (1) alpha-GST activity does not correlate with GSH levels in the plasma; (2) alpha-GSTs do not have clinical relevance as markers of recent alcohol intake; (3) in cirrhotics, alpha-GST does not provide more information than other liver function tests. However, plasma alpha-GST determination may be useful in selecting a subgroup of alcoholics in whom routine biochemical markers of liver damage are within reference ranges. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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