AROMATIC AND BRANCHED-CHAIN AMINO-ACID LEVELS IN ALCOHOLICS

Plasma aromatic amino acid (AAA) and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) concentrations were determined in 292 alcoholics. The BCAA/AAA molar r atio in patients with alcohol withdrawal symptoms was compared with th e ratio in patients without such symptoms. The BCAA/AAA molar ratio in patients with transient hallucinations or with delirium tremens was s ignificantly lower than that in patients without these symptoms. The B CAA/AAA molar ratio tended to be lower in patients with alcohol withdr awal seizures than in patients without such symptoms. The BCAA/AAA mol ar ratio had a negative correlation with plasma total bililubin and LD H, and a positive correlation with plasma cholinesterase and albumin. These results indicate that abnormalities of amino acid metabolism cau sed by liver damage in alcohol dependence may have an important role i n the pathogenesis of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome.