[Preliminary results on blood carnitine levels in children with hepatic pathology].

A deficiency of exogenous and endogenous carnitine is present in those pathologies in which the most important clinical sign is represented by weakness and steatosis. We have studied the serum levels of carnitine in 14 children with hepatic disease (8 with acute HAV hepatitis, 2 with acute HBV hepatitis, 2 with toxic hepatitis, 2 with chronic hepatitis). In patients with acute, infective and toxic hepatitis we have found levels of carnitine (25.71 +/- 2.14 nM/ml) below normal (50.87 +/- 1.46 nM/ml). In 5 cases we have performed two blood tests, at admittance to the hospital and at the end of the illness. The variability in carnitine levels in these two blood exams shows a clear correlation with clinical improvement, decrease in aminotransferase and increase in serum carnitine. In chronic hepatitis we have found normal levels of carnitine. Probably it is correlated with the absence of steatosis seen at hepatic biopsy.