Open J Psychiatry Allied Sci. 2025 Jul 10. Epub ahead of print.

Serum ammonia levels and bioavailability of vitamin D in patients of alcohol dependence and its role in prediction of alcoholic liver disease.

Gogoi S, Bhattacharyya Thakur B, Medhi S, Chisty SJS, Lahon D.

Abstract

Background: Alcohol dependence is a psychiatric diagnosis. The individual drinking alcohol is dependent either physically or psychologically. Nitrogen metabolism produces ammonia. In liver it is converted to urea. Multiple enzymatic reactions are involved. Alcoholic liver disease can be detected by this parameter. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and the study aimed to measure its levels in alcohol dependence. Objective: The present study was conducted to study the serum ammonia levels and bioavailability of vitamin D in patients with alcohol dependence and its role in the prediction of alcoholic liver disease. Methods: The study was conducted on 100 alcohol dependence patients from the psychiatric department and was allocated into two groups- group A (alcohol dependence patients with liver disease) and group B (alcohol dependence patients without liver disease). For qualitative data, chi-square test was used. Quantitative data were analysed using student t-test. A p-value of 0.05 is considered to be insignificant. The data compiled were analysed with GraphPadInStat® 3 statistical software. Results: Demographic variables (age, sex, weight in kg) were comparable between the two groups with the p-value remaining insignificant when comparison was done between the two groups. The average ammonia levels of Group A (87.76 μ/dl) and Group B (25.68 μ/dl) was significant when compared. The average vitamin D levels of Group A (43.58 ng/mL) and Group B (44.92 ng/mL) was non-significant when compared. Conclusion: As per the study results obtained, we concluded that serum ammonia levels were in a higher range than normal in the group of patients with liver disease and normal range in the group without liver disease and no significant difference was seen between the two groups concerning serum vitamin D levels.

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