Content of hepatic reduced glutathione in chronic alcoholic patients: influence of the length of abstinence and liver necrosis.

The relationship between the content of hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and the length of abstinence was investigated in 45 chronic alcoholic patients. Hepatic GSH levels were significantly correlated (r = 0.58; P less than 0.001) with the length of alcohol withdrawal in the whole group. According to liver histology patients were divided into two groups, with and without hepatic necrosis. Subjects without necrosis showed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.71; P less than 0.001) between GSH values and the length of abstinence; no correlation (r = -0.22; P less than 0.40) was observed in the group with necrosis. According to the period of abstinence patients were separated into two groups, with a short (less than or equal to 5 days) and a prolonged (greater than 5 days) alcohol withdrawal. Patients with and without necrosis exhibited comparable mean levels of liver GSH (2.04 +/- SEM 0.21 and 1.74 +/- 0.23 mumol/g respectively; P less than 0.30) when studied after short periods of abstinence. Alcoholics without liver necrosis showed significantly higher hepatic GSH levels than those with necrosis (3.23 +/- 0.30 and 1.60 +/- 0.33 respectively; P less than 0.01) after prolonged periods of alcohol withdrawal. Similar results were obtained when liver GSH levels were expressed as a function of the mean surface area of hepatocytes, which was not significantly different between patients with and without hepatic necrosis. Parameters assessing the nutritional status of patients with and without necrosis were not significantly different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)