| Theme |
Cirrhosis -- Recent Progress in Diagnosis and Treatmen |
| Title |
Clinical Significance of Branched-chain Amino Acid Supplementation for Patients with Cirrhosis |
| Author |
Ryujin Endo |
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine |
| Author |
Kei Sawara |
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine |
| Author |
Kei Endo |
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine |
| Author |
Yasuhiro Takikawa |
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine |
| Author |
Akinobu Kato |
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine |
| Author |
Kazuyuki Suzuki |
Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is common in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). It is also a significant predictor of complications and survival in those patients. The clinical significance of supplemental branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) may be obsarved in the management of hepatic encephalopathy in LC patients. It has recently become evident that long-term oral administration of BCAA supplements decreases the progression of hepatic failure and improves event-free survival and QOL, as well as serum albumin concentrations, in decompensated LC patients. In addition, a series of subsequent studies have suggested that BCAA has suppressive effects on hepato-carcinogenesis partly by improving the insulin resistance associated with cirrhosis. Therefore, various pharmacological roles for BCAA have been suggested. |