Biomaterial Database

Plasma alpha-amino-n-butyric acid/leucine ratio in alcoholics. 1981

J D Jones, and R M Morse, and R D Hurt

Fasting free amino acid concentrations in plasma of 20 control and 18 alcoholic subjects were compared in an attempt to validate previous reports that the molar ratio of alpha-amino-n-butyric acid/leucine (A/L ratio) is a marker for alcoholism. We were unable to confirm the observations of either altered alpha-amino-n-butyric acid or leucine concentrations or an increased A/L ratio in alcoholic subjects, and we conclude that the A/L ratio is not a biochemical marker for alcoholism.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007930	Leucine	An essential branched-chain amino acid important for hemoglobin formation.	L-Leucine,Leucine, L-Isomer,L-Isomer Leucine,Leucine, L Isomer
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D000437	Alcoholism	A primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial. Each of these symptoms may be continuous or periodic. (Morse & Flavin for the Joint Commission of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Society of Addiction Medicine to Study the Definition and Criteria for the Diagnosis of Alcoholism: in JAMA 1992;268:1012-4)	Alcohol Abuse,Alcoholic Intoxication, Chronic,Ethanol Abuse,Alcohol Addiction,Alcohol Dependence,Alcohol Use Disorder,Abuse, Alcohol,Abuse, Ethanol,Addiction, Alcohol,Alcohol Use Disorders,Chronic Alcoholic Intoxication,Dependence, Alcohol,Intoxication, Chronic Alcoholic,Use Disorders, Alcohol
D000596	Amino Acids	Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.	Amino Acid,Acid, Amino,Acids, Amino
D000613	Aminobutyrates	Derivatives of BUTYRIC ACID that contain one or more amino groups attached to the aliphatic structure. Included under this heading are a broad variety of acid forms, salts, esters, and amides that include the aminobutryrate structure.	Aminobutyric Acids,Aminobutyric Acid,Acid, Aminobutyric,Acids, Aminobutyric