PROTEIN-TURNOVER IN ABSTINENT AND NON-ABSTINENT PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOLIC CIRRHOSIS

Objective: This study was designed to measure the effect of chronic al cohol intake on leucine turnover in outpatients with stable alcoholic liver cirrhosis.Methods: Protein turnover rate was measured using L [1 -C-14] leucine in ten outpatients with proven alcoholic cirrhosis and in five healthy controls. After the performance of the turnover, the p atients were divided in two groups depending on the evidence of alcoho l ingestion in the previous month. Results: Non-abstinent patients had a significantly higher leucine flux and non-oxidative disposal (73.8 +/- 25.4 and 65.9 +/- 21.6) than abstinent cirrhotic patients (48.9 +/ - 9.5 and 43.7 +/- 9.0) and normal controls 37.3 +/- 8.9 and 31.1 +/- 7.6 mu mol/m(2)/min (p < 0.01). Leucine oxidation and serum leucine le vels were similar in the three groups. Conclusion: Alcohol intake in a lcoholic cirrhotic patients has a catabolic effect that could be assoc iated with the nutritional imbalances observed in alcoholic liver dise ase.