GUANIDINO COMPOUNDS IN SERUM AND URINE OF CIRRHOTIC-PATIENTS

To investigate the metabolic relationship between urea and guanidinosu ccinic acid (GSA), we determined the levels of the guanidino compounds , including GSA, and urea in serum and urine of cirrhotic patients. Li near correlation studies between serum urea and GSA levels were perfor med. Good positive linear correlation coefficients were found in the C hild-Turcotte C subgroup (r = .847, P < .001) and in the total subgrou p including B and C patients (r = .848; P < .0001). Serum guanidinoace tic acid levels were significantly increased in the Child-Turcotte C s ubgroup (P < .0001 for men and P < .001 for women). In contrast, GSA l evels were significantly (P < .0001) decreased in the three studied su bgroups. Similar results were found for urinary GSA excretion levels. Within each subgroup, serum and urinary GSA levels were significantly lower in patients with alcohol-induced cirrhosis than in nonalcoholic cirrhotic patients. Similar results were obtained for urea. The findin gs in cirrhotic patients clearly demonstrate a metabolic relationship between urea and GSA. They also show that urea and GSA biosynthesis is significantly lower in cirrhotic patients with an alcoholic origin th an in cirrhotic patients with a nonalcoholic origiorigin. Copyright (C ) 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company