UNLABELLED: Treatment of patients with liver cirrhosis with the signs of liver insufficiency is complex and seldom satisfactory. Carnitine, taking part in liver lipid metabolism might be a potentially effective drug.THE AIM: Of the study was to evaluate the influence of L-carnitine on serum ammonia, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with liver cirrhosis of alcoholic aetiology, 16 females and 34 males, aged 55 +/- 11.3 years (mean +/- SD) were included into the study. Fourteen patients were treated with L-carnitine, 25--with L-ornitine L-aspartate, 11--were not given those medicaments. All patients had proteins reduced down to 0.5 g/kg b.w. per day in their diet. The serum concentrations of ammonia, cholesterol and triglycerides were assessed on inclusion and after 28 days of treatment.RESULTS: All patients improved clinically. A significant improvement was observed in the group of patients treated with L-ornitine L-aspartate (p < 0.003), and among those treated with L-isocarnitine (p = 0.005), while evaluating the Child-Pugh score before and after treatment. The serum ammonia concentration decreased in all patients. However, among the individuals treated with L-carnitine an increase of serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations was observed as well (p = 0.02).CONCLUSIONS: L-carnitine lowers the serum ammonia concentration and improves lipid metabolism.
Adult Aged