Effect of ecological factors on the appearance of toxic porphyria. I. alcoholism and D-DALA

Ispitana je aktivnost dehidrataze delta-aminolevulinske kiseline (D¬DALK) kod kroničnih alkoholičara (N = 51) uz paralelno određivanje koncentracije delta-aminolevulinske kiseline (DALK) iz jednokratnog uzorka mokraće. Kod 12 bolesnika s kroničnim oboljenjem jetre, analizirano je u mokraći izlučivanje preteča hema i aktivnost D-DALK u krvi. Rezultati su pokazali, da je kod kroničnih alkoholičara više od 50% ispitanika imalo sniženu D-DALK aktivnost, a izlučivanje DALK je bilo lagano povećana kod 14% ispitanika. U bolesnika s kroničnim bolestima jetre izlučivanje porfirina i njihovih preteča bilo je normalno, a aktivnost D-DALK je bila lagano inhibirana u 6 bolesnika. Iako dobiveni rezultati u grupi kroničnih alkoholičara govore u prilog djelovanja etilnog alkohola na aktivnost D-DALK. ipak se to ne može sa sigurnošću zaključiti, jer nisu isključeni i drugi poznati i potencijalni inhibitori tog enzima. Isto tako da bi se dao konačni sud o inhibiciji D-DALK kod kroničnih bolesti jetre potrebno je ispitati veći broj bolesnika s alkoholnim oštećenjem jetre.The activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (D-DALA) in chronic alcoholics (N = 51) was analysed along with the parallel determination of the concentration of delta-amninolevulinic acid (DALA) in a single urine sample. In 12 patients with the chronic liver lesions the elimination of hem precursors in the urine and the activity of D-DALA in the blood were also analysed. The results have shown that in chronic alcoholics over 500/o of subjects had a reduced D-DALA activity, while the DALA elimination was slightly increased in 14% of subjects. In patients with chronic liver lesions the elimination of porphyrins and their precursors was normal while the activity of D-DALA was slightly inhibited in 6 patients. Although the results obtained in the group of chronic alcoholics speak for the effect of ethyl alcohol on the D-DALA activity, no conclusive statement is possible because some other known potential inhibitors of this enzyme cannot be ruled out. Also, in order to give a definite judgment about the inhibition of D-DALA in chronic liver diseases, it would be necessary to examine a larger number of patients with alcohol-induced liver lesions