[Changes in the levels of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase in chronic alcoholic patients]
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Updated: Oct 29, 2026

Assessment of Glutamine as a Fuel Source for Alveolar Macrophages Exposed to Chronic Ethanol Using an Extracellular Flux Bioanalyzer
Published on: November 15, 2024
E A Wider1, D Ferranti, M N Mozzarelli
1Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Abstract:
Medical and biochemical analysis were performed on 58 patients with chronic alcoholism. In accordance with medical characterisation, patients were divided in three groups: A (patients having only hepatopathy), B (patients with hepatopathy and neuropathy) and C (patients having only alcoholic neuropathy). Simultaneously, several parameters related to heme biosynthesis were examined. Urinary delta-aminolevulic acid (ALA), porphobilinogen (PBG) and porphyrins and fecal porphyrins measurements did not show significant difference among all studied groups. The activities of ALA-dehydratase (ALA-D), uroporphyrinogen-I-synthase (URO-I-S) and uroporphyrinogen-III-synthase (URO-III-S) were monitored in peripheral erythrocytes. From the enzymes measured, only ALA-D levels in groups B and C were significantly depressed (p < 0.002) compared with normal subjects. The decrease in ALA-D correlated with the degree of neuropathy.
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