Parenteral support with selected l aminoacid infusions in chronic hepatic encephalopathy

A short-term clinical trial with infusion of 1-amino acid mixture enriched with non-aromatic amino acids was performed on 20 patients with long-standing hepatic encephalopathy. All patients had signs of recurrent hepatic encephalopathy, but their general clinical conditions were stable at the time they entered the trial. A significant improvement in indexes of hepatic encephalopathy, without reaching a complete neurological recovery, was observed during the treatment. Plasma concentrations of methionine and tryptophan were reduced, without modifications of the other plasma amino acids. These results suggest that parenteral support with selected amino acid infusion is a safe and useful therapeutic tool in patients with chronic recurrent hepatic encephalopathy, and may prevent neurological worsening. However, for a complete neurological recovery, combination therapies (with lactulose, antibiotics and dopamine active agents) may be helpfu