Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “FATTY LIVER”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 757 records · Page 42Linked to original sources

The nucleotide sequence of rat liver fatty acid binding protein mRNA.

Rat liver fatty acid binding protein mRNA is present in both liver and intestinal epithelium. It is the most abundant mRNA in the small intestinal mucosa. We have determined the sequence of this mRNA from cloned cDNA. It consists of a 5'-nontranslated domain at least 39 nucleotides long, a coding region which specifies a 127-amino acid, 14,184-dalton polypeptide, and a 3'-nontranslated region 68 nucleotides long. An AAUAAA sequence begins 21 nucleotides before the 3'-terminal poly(A) tail. The derived protein sequence was verified by automated sequential Edman degradation of (i) the primary translation product of the mRNA and (ii) a cyanogen bromide peptide generated from the mature liver protein. Evidence is presented which suggests that this protein is targeted to the cytoplasm. The NH2 terminus of the primary translation product is acetylated in vitro. No cleavable signal peptide sequence or internal signal sequence equivalent was detectable in a co-translational cleavage assay. Cloned cDNA was used to establish that this mRNA was 12 times more abundant in intestinal epithelial than in liver RNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Effects of hepatic impairment on the metabolism of fructose and 5-fluorouracil, as studied in fatty liver models using in vivo 31P-MRS and 19F-MRS.

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of hepatic impairment on the metabolism of fructose and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in fatty liver models using in vivo 31P-MRS and 19F-MRS and to compare the results. In addition, we compared the results to those of other conventional tests such as laboratory examinations, imaging and pathology. Male SIc:Wistar rats were examined on BEM170/200 (4.7 T, Otsuka Electronics, USA) with 17-mm diameter surface coil. Fatty liver was induced by a choline deficient diet (CD diet) for 2 weeks. 31P-MRS were obtained for 90 min after intravenous (i.v.) injection of 1 g/kg of fructose and 19F-MRS were measured for 100 min after i.v. injection of 100 mg/kg of 5-FU. 1H-MRS and 1H-MRI were also performed. On 31P-MRS, there was no statistical difference in the time course of phosphomonoester (PME), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and inorganic phosphate (Pi) between CD diet group and control group. On 19F-MRS, we detected high peak of fluoronucleotide (Fnct) and suppressed peak of alpha-fluoro-beta-alanine (FBAL) in CD diet group. We showed the metabolism of fructose and 5-FU by 31P-MRS and 19F-MRS, respectively. There was no difference in fructose metabolism but we observed increased fluoronucleotide and decreased a-fluoro-b-alanine in 5-FU metabolism of fatty liver. We speculate that the effects of hepatic impairment in fatty liver may be more severe on 5-FU metabolism and the increased fluoronucleotide may reflect cell proliferation.

Animals↗

Dietary carbohydrate intake plays an important role in preventing alcoholic fatty liver in the rat.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Dietary carbohydrate intake during ethanol ingestion augments the induction of hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) by ethanol. This study addresses the role of carbohydrate intake in the development of alcoholic fatty liver in the rat. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pair-fed on liquid diets containing ethanol (3.5 g/day, 36% of total calories) with different amounts of carbohydrate and fat for 4 weeks, and the development of fatty liver was observed biochemically and morphologically. RESULTS: An ethanol-containing low-carbohydrate diet (protein 17%; fat 36%; carbohydrate 11%; ethanol 36%) had more markedly adverse effects on the liver of rats than did an isocaloric ethanol-containing high-carbohydrate diet (protein 17%; fat 5%; carbohydrate 42%; ethanol 36%). The hepatic triglyceride level in the rats that consumed the low-carbohydrate diet was higher than that in the rats kept on the high-carbohydrate diet, a finding that was confirmed histologically. The ethanol-containing low-carbohydrate diet caused a marked increase in the activity of hepatic CYP2E1. The CYP2E1 protein level, as measured by Western blot analysis, matched the activity of CYP2E1, as measured by the rates of dimethylnitrosamine, p-nitrophenol and ethanol metabolism. The severity of the fatty liver was well correlated with the increased CYP2E1 activity. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary carbohydrate intake plays an important role in the development of alcoholic fatty liver by affecting CYP2E1 activity in the liver. A liquid diet containing ethanol in which the ethanol is included at the expense of fat is more acceptable to rats than a diet in which the ethanol replaces carbohydrate.

Animals↗

Localization of liver fatty acid-binding protein and its mRNA in the liver and jejunum of rats: an immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization study.

The localization of liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and its mRNA in the liver and jejunum was examined in normal and 3-day-fasted rats by means of immunohistochemistry using a specific antibody to L-FABP and in situ hybridization using a synthetic oligonucleotide complementary to L-FABP mRNA as probe. In the liver from normally fed rats, the signal for L-FABP mRNA in hepatocytes was distributed throughout the lobule, with higher intensity in the periportal than in the centrolobular region. After a 3-d fasting, the mRNA signal declined in intensity throughout the lobule, in accordance with the result of Northern blot analysis. Immunohistochemistry for L-FABP showed intralobular patterns of immunoreactivity similar to those of the mRNA signal in both fed and fasted animals. In the jejunum from fed rats, L-FABP-mRNA signal was abundant in the absorptive epithelial cells lining the lower two-thirds of villus and less abundant in the villus tip cells, while the intensity of L-FABP immunoreactivity remained high in the latter cells. Fasting brought about a downward shift of the mRNA signal to an area including the upper half of the crypt and the lower portions of villus, with decreased intensity in the rest of the villus. Immunohistochemistry also showed a downward extension of the immunoreactivity into the upper crypt area. The present results suggest that in situ hybridization is a useful tool to analyze regulations of the expression of L-FABP gene in the digestive organs in association with epithelial cell migration and dietary condition.

Animals↗

Acute fatty liver in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Objective: Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is an uncommon, potentially fatal disorder that usually occurs in the late third trimester of pregnancy. We present the first reported case of acute fatty liver in the second trimester of pregnancy.Methods: We report the clinical and laboratory findings in a patient with AFLP who presented in the second trimester of pregnancy.Results: A 37-year-old G5P4 woman presented at 22 weeks gestation (by 18 weeks ultrasound) with nausea and vomiting. She was normotensive, had no proteinuria, had elevated SGOT and SGPT (266 and 261, respectively), negative hepatitis studies and a normal platelet count. She was managed conservatively for presumed cholelithiasis until 24 weeks gestation when she was transferred to our facility because of worsening SGPT and SGPT (368 and 505, respectively), jaundice (total bilirubin of 8.9 mg/dL), hypoglycemia, and laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (PT = 18.6, PTT = 56, hypofibrinogenemia and presence of fibrin split products). Ultrasound showed singleton fetus (EFW 450 g) with total placenta previa. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed decreased hepatic density consistent with AFLP. Delivery of a nonviable fetus was effected after transfusion of fresh frozen plasma. Postoperatively, the patient had rapid resolution of DIC, jaundice, and hypoglycemia; liver transaminases normalized 5 days postoperatively and the patient was discharged home in good condition 5 days later.Conclusion: It has been traditionally stated that AFLP occurs in the late third trimester of pregnancy. This case demonstrates that, even in the second trimester of pregnancy, the diagnosis of AFLP should be considered as a cause of deteriorating liver function, jaundice, and DIC.

Journal Article↗

Relationship between serum adiponectin concentration, pulse wave velocity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), serum adiponectin concentration and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as a risk marker for atherosclerosis. METHODS: A total of 213 nonalcoholic subjects (67 males, 146 females) participated in this study. Division of subjects into the NAFLD group or the normal group was based on the existence of fatty liver detected by sonography. RESULTS: Serum adiponectin levels in the NAFLD group were significantly lower than those in the normal group. After adjusting for age, body-mass index (BMI) and the homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA), there was a significant negative correlation between NAFLD and serum adiponectin level only in females (r = -0.22, P = 0.008). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a tendency of inverse correlation between NAFLD and serum adiponectin level in females (P = 0.055). After adjustment for age, BMI and HOMA value, serum adiponectin levels were inversely correlated with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) levels (r = -0.199 (P = 0.004) and r = -0.282 (P < 0.001)). On the other hand, baPWV in the NAFLD group was also significantly higher than that in the normal group in females (P = 0.005). Individual levels of serum ALT, aspatate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and GGT were positively correlated with baPWV after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, HOMA and systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum adiponectin level and baPWV were significantly associated with NAFLD and various liver enzymes, especially in females.

Adiponectin↗

Association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with abnormal aminotransferase and postprandial hyperglycemia.

GOALS: This study was conducted to explore the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and glucose metabolism as well as insulin resistance using the homeostasis model assessment method (HOMA). STUDY: From July 2003 to June 2004, 23 patients with ultrasound-proved fatty liver and either normal (10 patients) or abnormal (13 patients) serum aminotransferase levels were enrolled. Blood tests included a routine biochemistry, a 75-g glucose oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with blood sampled at 30-minute intervals during a 120-minute period. Fasting and 120-minute serum leptin, insulin, and C-peptide concentrations were also measured. RESULTS: Using the Mann-Whitney U test, significant differences were found in gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (28.6+/-7.9 vs. 65.1+/-65.9 U/L, P=0.008), fasting insulin (FI) (13.11+/-7.53 vs. 31.76+/-42.95 muU/mL, P=0.02), fasting C-peptide (3.82+/-3.00 vs. 2.17+/-0.43 ng/mL, P=0.01), fasting leptin (10.34+/-4.05 vs. 24.27+/-24.97 ng/mL, P=0.01), HOMA-IR (3.34+/-1.06 vs. 8.81+/-13.18, P=0.02), and HOMA beta-cell function (120.32+/-52.50 vs. 242.20+/-247.29, P=0.02) between normal and abnormal ALT/AST function groups. From the 75-g OGTT, no significant difference of plasma glucose was noted at 0, 30, 60, and 90 minutes but significant change was noted in 120-minute plasma glucose (99.3+/-21.5 vs. 131.4+/-27.3 mg/dL, P=0.004) of 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, patients with fatty liver proved by ultrasound sonography might be at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially when they had elevated liver enzymes. OGTT is warranted for the early diagnosis of these high risk patients.

Adult↗

Fatty liver in obesity: relation to Doppler perfusion index measurement of the liver.

BACKGROUND: The correlation of clinical and laboratory findings with various imaging techniques in obese patients is difficult. Colour duplex Doppler is of particularly limited value in fat individuals. The Doppler Perfusion Index (DPI) measures the ratio of hepatic arterial to total liver blood flow and seems to be more accurate in the study of hepatic hemodynamics. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical use of DPI measurement of the liver in obesity. METHODS: In the present prospective, open study we evaluated the DPI in 41 obese patients (body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2) and 18 volunteers with normal or slightly increased weight. Thirty patients of the study group underwent liver biopsy during bariatric surgery. In these patients liver histology was assessed and age, BMI, waist to hip ratio (WHR), DPI, liver function tests and serum triglycerides were measured. RESULTS: Obese patients had significantly (P = 0.0036) higher DPI values (0.25 +/- 0.138) than the healthy volunteers (0.15 +/- 0.04). Multivariate analysis revealed that grade of fatty liver in the study group was inversely associated with DPI and positively depended on serum triglyceride and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) levels (fatty liver index = 1.03 x ASAT (IU/l) + 0.152 x triglyceride (mg%) - 49.75*DPI, with P < 0.0001 and r2 = 0.80). CONCLUSION: Grade of fatty liver in obese patients may be predicted from DPI, serum triglyceride and AST levels. The proposed index may be useful as a non-invasive diagnostic tool during the follow-up of patients with obesity-related fatty liver.

Adult↗

Gene delivery of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase improves graft function after transplantation of fatty livers in the rat.

Oxygen-derived free radicals play a central role in reperfusion injury after organ transplantation, and fatty livers are particularly susceptible. Endogenous radical scavengers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) degrade these radicals; however, SOD is destroyed rapidly when given exogenously. Therefore, an adenoviral vector encoding the Cu/Zn-SOD gene (Ad.SOD1) was used here to test the hypothesis that organ injury would be reduced and survival increased in a rat model of transplantation of fatty livers. Donors received chow diet (untreated), high-fat diet, or ethanol-containing high-fat diet. Some of the ethanol-fed donors were infected either with the gene lacZ encoding bacterial beta-galactosidase (Ad.lacZ), or Ad.SOD1. After liver transplantation, SOD activity and protein expression in liver, survival, histopathology, release of transaminases, free radical adducts in bile, and activation of NF-kappaB, IkappaB kinase (IKK), Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), and TNFalpha were evaluated. Ad.SOD1 treatment increased survival dramatically, blunted transaminase release, and reduced necrosis and apoptosis significantly. Free radical adducts were increased two-fold in the ethanol group compared with untreated controls. Ad. SOD1 blunted this increase and reduced the activation of NF-kappaB. However, release of TNFalpha was not affected. Ad.SOD1 also blunted JNK activity after transplantation. This study shows that gene therapy with Ad.SOD1 protects marginal livers from failure after transplantation because of decreased oxygen radical production. Genetic modification of fatty livers using viral vectors represents a new approach to protect marginal grafts against primary nonfunction.

Adenoviridae↗

Starvation impairs antioxidant defense in fatty livers of rats fed a choline-deficient diet.

Although fatty liver (FL) is considered an innocuous condition, the frequent incidence of graft failure when FL are transplanted has renewed interest in the intracellular disorders causative of or consequent to fatty degeneration. Oxidative stress and nutritional status modulate the tolerance to reperfusion injury in control livers (CL), but very little is known in the case of FL. This study was designed to compare the oxidative balance in CL and FL from fed and food-deprived rats. Serum and liver samples were collected from fed and starved (18 h) rats with CL or FL induced by a choline-deficient diet. Hepatic injury was assessed by transaminase activities and histology. The hepatic concentrations of glutathione (GSH), vitamin C, alpha-tocopherol, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and protein carbonyls (PC) were measured. Fed rats with FL had significantly greater TBARS and lower alpha-tocopherol and vitamin C levels than those with CL, whereas GSH and PC concentrations were not affected. Starvation impaired the oxidative balance in both groups. However, compared with the other groups, FL from food-deprived rats generally had the lowest hepatic concentrations of alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C and GSH. Unlike in CL, protein oxidation occurred in FL. These data indicate that fatty liver induced by consumption of a choline-deficient diet is associated with a lower level of antioxidants, which results in lipid peroxidation. Starvation further affects these alterations and extends the damage to proteins. In conclusion, steatosis and starvation may act synergistically on the depletion of antioxidants, predisposing fatty livers to a reduced tolerance to oxidative injury.

Animals↗

[Acute fatty liver of pregnancy: a rare pathology of the third trimester].

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy is a rare clinical syndrome of pregnancy that occurs during the third trimester. Clinicians must have a high index of suspicion for this condition when a woman has nausea or vomiting during the last trimester. Early diagnosis and prompt delivery improve foetal and maternal prognosis. We report a case of a previously healthy 23-year-old woman who presented an acute fatty liver of pregnancy with intrauterine fetal death. Based on this experience as well as on medical literature, characteristics of this uncommon pathology are discussed.

Acute Disease↗

Obesity-related fatty liver is unchanged in mice deficient for mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a prevalent condition associated with obesity, has the potential of evolving into end-stage liver disease. The biochemical mechanisms that define the progression of NAFLD are not well known, but reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in this process. Uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 is a mitochondrial inner-membrane protein that mediates proton leak, uncouples adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, and negatively regulates ROS production. UCP2 expression is increased in various animal models of NAFLD. Up-regulation of UCP2 may compromise cellular ATP levels and worsen liver damage, or it may be protective by ROS reduction in NAFLD. This study aimed to obtain a definitive answer as to whether increased UCP2 expression contributes to NAFLD. UCP2-/- mice were exposed to obesity by crossbreeding with ob/ob mice and by long-term high-fat feeding to study the effect of UCP2 deficiency on the outcome of NAFLD. Steatohepatitis score of crossbred mice (ob/ob/ko) was similar to that of ob/ob mice at 25 weeks. No compensatory increase was observed in the expression of UCP5 in ob/ob/ko livers. To unmask the effects of absent leptin and its potential proinflammatory actions, steatosis was also induced in UCP2-/- mice by a high-fat diet continued for 6 months. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels remained normal, and the steatohepatitis score in UCP2-/- mice was the same as in wild-type controls. We conclude that increased expression of UCP2 in the livers of mice with genetically or diet-induced obesity exerts neither protective nor deleterious effects on the severity of fatty liver disease.

Animals↗

Gamma-linolenic acid prevents conjugated linoleic acid-induced fatty liver in mice.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was done to clarify the mechanism by which conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) induces fatty liver in mice and to attenuate this symptom by adding other dietary fatty acids. METHODS: Mice were given CLA short (12 h) or long (4 wk) term or given CLA with linoleic acid (LA) or gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in the long term (4 wk). Total lipids, triacylglycerol, and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) levels in the liver were determined. RESULTS: A single administration of CLA significantly increased PGE(2) levels in the liver 12 h after administration. However, long-term administration of CLA significantly decreased the liver PGE(2) level and induced fatty liver. GLA increased PGE(2) levels, and coadministration with GLA, but not with LA, prevented the CLA-induced fatty liver. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that CLA initially stimulates PGE(2) production followed by depletion of PGE(2) sources in the liver. The fatty liver associated with PGE(2) reduction by CLA ingestion can be attenuated by GLA in mice.

Animals↗

Oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, in rats fed with a choline-deficient diet.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The pathogenesis of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease remains largely unknown, but oxidative stress seems to be involved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of oxidative stress in experimental hepatic steatosis induced by a choline-deficient diet. METHODS: Fatty liver disease was induced in Wistar rats by a choline-deficient diet. The animals were randomized into three groups: I (G1) and II (G2), n=6 each--fed with a choline-deficient diet for four and twelve weeks respectively; Group III (control-G3; n=6)--fed with a standard diet for twelve weeks. Samples of plasma and liver were submitted to biochemical, histological and oxidative stress analysis. Variables measured included serum levels of aminotransferases (AST, ALT), cholesterol and triglycerides. Oxidative stress was measured by lucigenin-enhanced luminescence and the concentration of hydroperoxides (CE-OOH-cholesteryl ester) in the liver tissue. RESULTS: We observed moderate macro- and microvesicular fatty change in periportal zones G1 and G2 as compared to controls (G3). In G2, fatty change was more severe. The inflammatory infiltrate was scanty and no fibrosis was seen in any group. There was a significant increase of AST and triglycerides in G1 and G2 as compared to control group G3. The lucigenin-amplified luminescence (cpm/mg/min x 10(3)) was significantly increased in G1 (1393-/+790) and G2 (7191-/+500) as compared to controls (513-/+170), p<0.05. The concentrations of CE-OOH were higher in G1 (5.7-/+0.9 nmol/mg protein) as compared to control (2.6-/+0.7 nmol/mg protein), p<0.05. CONCLUSION: 1) Oxidative stress was found to be increased in experimental liver steatosis; 2) The production of reactive oxygen species was accentuated when liver steatosis was more severe; 3) The alterations produced by oxidative stress could be an important step in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Alanine Transaminase↗

Abnormal glucose tolerance is a predictor of steatohepatitis and fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: The majority of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have simple steatosis. A minority, however, present with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition that can lead to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. The frequencies of NASH and fibrosis among patients with NAFLD and sustained elevation of liver function tests (LFT) are uncertain. Our aim was to estimate these frequencies. We characterize a population with NAFLD, with special emphasis on insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome, and study possible predictors for different stages of the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All referred patients with sustained elevation of LFT, radiological evidence or clinical suspicion of fatty liver, and absence of other liver disease, were invited to participate in our study in the period June 2002 to December 2004. RESULTS: Of 129 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 88 underwent liver biopsy. NAFLD was verified in 83 of them. Among these patients, 59 (71%) had the metabolic syndrome, 41 (49%) had NASH and 36 (43%) had fibrosis. Abnormal glucose tolerance (T2DM or impaired glucose tolerance) was the only independent risk factor for NASH (OR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.20-8.23). Independent predictors for fibrosis were abnormal glucose tolerance (OR: 3.83; 95% CI: 1.29-11.40) and body mass index (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.06-1.36) per kg/m2. CONCLUSIONS: Both NASH and fibrosis are frequently present among patients with NAFLD and sustained elevation of LFT. The probability of these potentially progressive stages of NAFLD increases with the presence of abnormal glucose tolerance.

Adult↗

Glucagon as a potential therapy for ketosis and fatty liver.

An experiment demonstrating the usefulness of glucagon as a treatment for fatty liver and ketosis in early-lactation dairy cows has been described. This is the first report of the ability of glucagon, or any agent, to promote clearance of lipid from livers of animals suffering hepatic lipidosis. The development and use of glucagon as a therapeutic agent for the fatty-liver complex in dairy cows may provide a powerful management tool to enhance the profitability of the high-producing dairy cow.

Animals↗

Feasibility study of ultrasonic fatty liver biopsy: texture vs. attenuation and backscatter.

The objective of this study was to compare textural to attenuation/backscatter indices of fatty liver correlated to histology to suggest the better approach for an objective noninvasive ultrasonic "biopsy". Forty-four patients with severe steatosis by histopathology were selected for this study. Ten patients had "pure" fatty liver and 34 had in addition fibrosis and/or inflammation. Ultrasonic images were acquired before needle insertion. The ROI used for biopsy was marked on the ultrasonic image and characterized by three attenuation/backscatter and 18 textural related indices. Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression. Twenty-one healthy subjects served as control. The attenuation/backscatter indices were superior to textural indices in differentiating between the categories studied. Pure fatty livers could be reliably identified (AUC = 1, SE = 0). Among the 18 textural indices, "co-occurrences sum entropy" and "co-occurrences entropy" presented the best results. Attenuation/backscatter based indices appear to have better potential than the textural based indices.

Area Under Curve↗

Maternal acute fatty liver of pregnancy and the associated risk for long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme a dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency in infants.

Acute fatty liver disease of pregnancy has been recognized as a clinical problem since the 1980s. In the past 8 years, the association of this disease with a genetic inborn error of metabolism in the infant has been recognized. Women who are heterozygous for this disorder are usually asymptomatic until the capacity of their livers to metabolize free fatty acids (FFA) is overwhelmed by a homozygous fetus. The inborn error of metabolism, long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency, may not be immediately recognizable in the infant. Symptoms in the infant are often triggered by an increased long-chain fatty acid load in the diet, or by illness that results in breakdown of endogenous fat. The following case study reviews the clinical pathophysiology of this perinatal health problem and highlights the priorities for the care of infants born to mothers with acute fatty liver disease of pregnancy.

3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases↗