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Role of Branched Chain Amino Acids in Cellular and Organ Damage: The Prognostic Significance of the Preoperative Branched Chain Amino Acid to Tyrosine Ratio

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Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

Amino acid (AA) ratios are indicative of the systemic balance between protein metabolism and catabolism. The question arises as to whether particular AA ratios reflect the severity of liver damage. This chapter examines the relationship between preoperative AA ratios and liver function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. In addition, we discuss the clinical value of AA ratios in HCC patients who elect to undergo surgery. The branched-chain amino acid to tyrosine ratio (BTR) is an alternative indicator for Fischer’s ratio. The correlation between the Fischer’s ratio and the BTR is very high. In addition, the correlation between the BTR and other liver functional indicators varied depending on the severity of the patient’s liver disease. The BTR was not only able to predict the risk of complications but also predicted the severity of complications after initial hepatectomy for HCC. Furthermore, BTR was able to predict both recurrence free-survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). The BTR-ALB classification could be used to identify patient groups that would benefit from branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation as adjuvant nutritional support.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Surgical Oncology and Science, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

    Toru Mizuguchi M.D., Ph.D. & Koichi Hirata M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Department of Tissue Development and Regeneration, Research Institute for Frontier Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

    Tohsihiro Mitaka M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Toru Mizuguchi M.D., Ph.D.
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  2. Tohsihiro Mitaka M.D., Ph.D.
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  3. Koichi Hirata M.D., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toru Mizuguchi M.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Intensive Care, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Rajkumar Rajendram

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Mizuguchi, T., Mitaka, T., Hirata, K. (2015). Role of Branched Chain Amino Acids in Cellular and Organ Damage: The Prognostic Significance of the Preoperative Branched Chain Amino Acid to Tyrosine Ratio. In: Rajendram, R., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1914-7_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1914-7_5

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1913-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1914-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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