Ethanol consumption, amino acid and glutathione blood levels in patients with and without chronic liver disease

Background: Ethanol abuse and liver cirrhosis cause a reduction of glutathi one blood levels; liver cirrhosis induces an alteration of the plasma amino acid pattern. We evaluated whether or not ethanol abuse affects amino acid levels, particularly those that are involved in metabolizing glutathione i n the plasma and erythrocytes of chronic alcohol abusers with or without li ver cirrhosis. Methods. We studied 10 chronic alcohol abusers without liver cirrhosis, 10 with alcoholic cirrhosis, 10 affected by hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosi s, and 10 healthy subjects. Glutathione, gamma-glutamyl-cysteine, and cyste ine were determined by fluorescent HPLC, glutamic acid, glycine, and other free amino acids by cation exchange chromatography both in the plasma and e rythrocytes of all studied subjects. Results and Conclusions: In both alcoholics and cirrhotics, we found a sign ificant increase of plasma-aromatic amino acid and methionine levels, where as glutathione was significantly reduced. The erythrocytes of these patient s showed a significant increase of cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine; ga mma-glutamylcysteine was normal; and glutathione and other free amino acids were significantly decreased. Data suggest that, independent of liver cirr hosis, ethanol abuse affects the metabolism of amino acids and,glutathione in both the plasma and the erythrocytes.