Summary
The increments in serum concentrations of unconjugated bilirubin and free fatty acids (FFA) were measured 24 and 48h after reduction of the caloric intake (400 cal/day) in 17 patients with Gilbert’s syndrome (GS) and in 12 healthy control subjects. In males, both normal and with GS, the rise in serum bilirubin was statistically higher (P<0.01) as compared to females. On the contrary, no sex difference was found in FFA concentrations. A linear correlation (p<0.01) between bilirubin and FFA serum levels was present in normal males and in patients with Gilbert’s syndrome of both sexes. Because bilirubin and FFA partly share a common, bilitranslocase-mediated, hepatic uptake mechanism, data reported support the hypothesis that a bilitranslocase function may be one of the metabolic defects in Gilbert’s syndrome.
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Orzes, N., Tamaro, G., Parco, S. et al. Serum free fatty acids and bilirubin concentration during fasting in patients with Gilbert’s syndrome and normal controls. La Ricerca Clin. Lab. 17, 61–66 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02909390
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02909390