Studies on tryptophan metabolism in bilharzial hepatic fibrosis and non-bilharzial hepatic cirrhosis in childhood

Summary Study on tryptophan metabolism in eight children presenting with bilharzial hepatic fibrosis revealed a pattern reflecting vitamin B6 deficiency and which could be corrected by supplementing this vitamin. This finding was attributed to S. mansoni infection rather than parenchymal involvement. Similar study carried out on five children with non-bilharzial hepatic cirrhosis showed low response to a tryptophan load which was not corrected by vitamin B6 supplementation. The difference between the patterns of tryptophan metabolites in bilharzial fibrosis and non-bilharzial cirrhosis in children might be due to bilharziasis in the former group and to deranged protein synthesis in the latter.