ISSN:
1432-1440
Keywords:
L-Carnitine
;
Renal failure
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary The influence of age, sex, and renal function on serum levels and urinary excretion of free carnitine was studied in 187 subjects. Sixty-one subjects with normal renal function (creatinine clearance 〉100 ml/min) showed a serum carnitine level of 72.2±23.2 µmol/l. The carnitine values of males (76.8±23.3 µmol/l,n=39) were higher (p〈0.05) than those of females (64.0±21.0 µmol/l, n=22). Carnitine levels did not correlate with age. Values in patients with normal renal function did not differ from serum carnitine levels in healthy controls (74.7±17.5 µmol/l,n=49). The mean urinary carnitine excretion per day was 163.5 µmol (range 63.7–419.6 µmol) in patients with intact renal function. Extreme impairment of glomerular filtration rate (creatinine clearance 〈20 ml/min) resulted in higher carnitine concentrations in serum (108.9±39.4 µmol/l,n=18,p〈0.05), lower carnitine elimination per day (78.5 µmol, range 14.5–424.3 µmol,n=18,p〈0.05) and a decreased carnitine clearance (0.8 ml/min, range 0.2–3.8 ml/min). These data together with earlier results obtained in dialysis patients suggest that carnitine metabolism in renal failure is altered by reduction of both endogenous carnitine biosynthesis and renal carnitine clearance.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01721888
Permalink
