[Porphirin metabolism in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis].

AIM: To study porphirin metabolism in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (HASH). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The trial enrolled 66 patients with verified diagnosis of HASH. Patients with chronic viral hepatitis and chronic alcohol intoxication were not included in the trial. Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), porphobilinogen (PBG), uroporphirin (UP) and coproporphirin (CP) were assayed in urine, protoporphirin (PP) and CP--in the stool. Total content of porphirins and proportions CP/UP and PP/CP were estimated. RESULTS: 17 patients had normal total porphirin excretion with urine but high levels of ALA, PBG, UP fraction, changed fractions proportion. 21 patients had high content of urinary and fecal porphirin fractions. Biochemical syndromes of high fecal porphirin concentration, secondary coproporphirinuria, chronic latent hepatic porphiria were under development. The above disorders were associated with carbohydrate, lipid and iron disbolism. In porphirin disbolism histological signs of liver fibrosis occurred more frequently. 56 (84.8%) patients had signs of metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: Disorders of porphirin metabolism in HASH patients are characterized by many nonspecific abnormalities and metabolic disturbances. Patients with different variants of porphirin disbolism developed hepatic fibrosis more frequently.