Effects of L-carnitine in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

AIM To evaluate the influence of L-carnitine on mental conditions and ammonia effects on patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). METHODS One hundred and fifty patients (10 patients with alcoholism, 41 patients with hepatitis virus B infection, 78 patients with hepatitis C virus infection, 21 patients with cryptogenetic cirrhosis) meeting the inclusion criteria were randomized into group A receiving a 90-d treatment with L-carnitine (2 g twice a day) or into group B receiving placebo in double blind. RESULTS At the end of the study period, a significant decrease in NH4 fasting serum levels was found in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (P<0.05) after the treatment with levocarnitine (LC). Significant differences were also found between symbol digit modalities test and block design in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Results of our study suggest an important protective effect of L-carnitine against ammonia-precipitated encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients.

• Publication year

  2005

• Venue

  World Journal of Gastroenterology

• Publication date

  2005-12-07

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3748/WJG.V11.I45.7197PMID 16437672PMCID PMC4725086
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• L-carnitine appears to have a protective effect against ammonia-precipitated encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients.

  Confidence 0.84

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• Symbol digit modalities test and block design outcomes showed significant differences after levocarnitine treatment in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

  Confidence 0.93

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• Fasting serum NH4 levels decreased significantly after levocarnitine treatment in patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

  Confidence 0.98

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• Eligible patients with hepatic encephalopathy were randomized in a 90-day double-blind comparison of oral L-carnitine 2 g twice daily versus placebo.

  Confidence 0.95

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review

• ammonia-precipitated encephalopathy

  condition

  Encephalopathy associated with ammonia burden in cirrhotic patients.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• block design test

  test, measurement

  A visuospatial construction test used here as a neuropsychological outcome measure.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• cirrhotic patients

  patient group

  Patients with cirrhosis included among the study population.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• hepatic encephalopathy

  condition

  A liver-related neuropsychiatric syndrome studied as the target condition in the enrolled patients.

  Aliases: HE

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• l-carnitine

  compound, treatment

  A carnitine supplement administered orally at 2 g twice daily in the trial.

  Aliases: levocarnitine, LC

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• randomized double-blind placebo-controlled design

  study design

  A trial design that assigned participants to active treatment or placebo under blinded conditions.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• serum nh4 levels

  biomarker, measurement

  Fasting blood ammonia concentration measured as a biochemical outcome.

  Aliases: NH4

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review
• symbol digit modalities test

  test, measurement

  A neuropsychological test used here to assess cognitive performance.

  박진우 (dztg5apj7m) extractionB (s683577b42) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) review

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