OBJECTIVETo determine serum carnitine levels in patients with liver diseases and to investigate their significance.

METHODS25 patients with acute viral hepatitis, 34 with chronic viral hepatitis, 22 with post hepatitis cirrhosis with normal renal function, 9 with post hepatitis cirrhosis but with renal disfunction, and 40 healthy subjects (serving as controls) were enrolled in this study. An enzymatic cycling method was used to determine the serum free carnitine levels.

RESULTSThe serum free carnitine level was (48.3+/-10.2)micromol/L in the healthy control group. It was (35.2+/-13.2)micromol/L in the acute viral hepatitis group, (36.5+/-9.9)micromol/L in the chronic viral hepatitis group, (45.0+/-11.0)micromol/L in the post hepatitis cirrhosis with normal renal function group, and (83.6+/-50.4)micromol/L in the post hepatitis cirrhosis with renal dysfunction group. Serum free carnitine levels in the acute viral hepatitis and chronic viral hepatitis groups were significantly lower than those in the healthy controls. There were no significant differences in serum free carnitine levels of the post hepatitis cirrhosis group and the normal control group.

CONCLUSIONSPatients with liver diseases can have carnitine metabolism errors. One of the secondary carnitine lack causes is liver disease.