Читать книгу Autoimmune Liver Disease - Группа авторов - Страница 22

Amino acids are derived from the diet and from tissue breakdown and they reach the liver via the portal vein. Many critical aspects of protein metabolism occur in the liver, such as the deamination and transamination of amino acids, followed by conversion of the non‐nitrogenous parts of these molecules to glucose or lipids. Several of the enzymes used in these pathways, e.g. alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, are commonly measured in serum to assess liver damage.

The liver is also responsible for a number of vital metabolic processes, including the removal of ammonia (an important factor in the development of hepatic encephalopathy) via the synthesis of urea; the synthesis of non‐essential amino acids; and the synthesis of most plasma proteins such as albumin (the major plasma protein), fibrinogen, α₁‐antitrypsin, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, transferrin, and several coagulation factors.