Association of amino acid imbalance with the severity of liver fibrosis and esophageal varices

作者：Enomoto Hirayuki^*; Sakai Yoshiyuki; Aizawa Nobuhiro; Iwata Yoshinori; Tanaka Hironori; Ikeda Naoto; Hasegawa Kunihiro; Yoh Kazunori; Ishii Akio; Takashima Tomoyuki; Iwata Kazunari; Saito Masaki; Imanishi Hiroyasu; Iijima Hiroko; Nishiguchi Shuhei

来源：Annals of Hepatology, 2013, 12(3): 471-478.

DOI：10.1016/s1665-2681(19)31011-7

• Portal hypertension
• Biomarker
• Branched-chain amino acids to Tyr ratio
• Metabolism

Background. The relationships between the metabolic parameters and the endoscopic findings of esophageal varices have been poorly investigated. We investigated the association of the branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine ratio (BTR) with the severity of liver fibrosis and esophageal varices. Material and methods. We studied hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive chronic liver disease patients who had undergone liver biopsy (n = 149). The relationship between the BTR values and the liver fibrotic stage was investigated. We also studied whether the BTR value was associated with the presence and bleeding risk of varices in patients with HCV-related compensated cirrhosis. Results. The mean values of the BTR decreased with the progression of the fibrosis (METAVIR score: F0-1: 6.40 +/- 1.19; F2: 5.85 +/- 1.33; F3: 5.24 +/- 0.97, F4: 4.78 +/- 1.14). In the 58 patients with HCV-related compensated cirrhosis, the mean values of the BTR decreased with the severity of varices (patients without varices: 5.01 +/- 1.15, patients with a low-risk varices: 4.42 +/- 1.06, patients with a high-risk varices: 3.86 +/- 1.02). The BTR value was significantly lower in the patients with varices than in those without varices (4.17 +/- 1.07 vs. 5.01 +/- 1.15, P < 0.01). The BTR value was also significantly lower in the patients with a high risk of hemorrhage than in those with a low risk (3.86 +/- 1.02 vs. 4.78 +/- 1.14, P < 0.01). Furthermore, the BTR value was the most significantly different parameter, with the smallest P-value among all the factors examined, including the platelet count and albumin level. Conclusion. A decreased BTR value was found to be associated with the progression of liver fibrosis and severity of varices.

• 出版日期2013-6