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Hyperammonemia, or high ammonia levels, is a metabolic disturbance characterised by an excess of ammonia in the blood. Severe hyperammonemia is a dangerous condition that may lead to brain injury and death. It may be primary or secondary. Ammonia is a substance that contains nitrogen. It is a product of the catabolism of protein.
The diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy is a clinical one, once other causes for confusion or coma have been excluded; no test fully diagnoses or excludes it. Serum ammonia levels are elevated in 90% of people, but not all hyperammonaemia (high ammonia levels in the blood) is associated with encephalopathy.
In individuals with marked hyperammonemia, a urea cycle disorder is usually high on the list of possible causes. While the immediate focus is lowering the patient's ammonia concentrations, identifying the specific cause of increased ammonia levels is key as well. [citation needed]
Ammonia levels may rise given ammonia is a by-product of AMP deaminase which follows after the production of AMP by adenylate kinase, an alternative pathway for ATP production. In this pathway, adenylate kinase combines two ADP molecules to make ATP and AMP; AMP is then deaminated , producing inosine monophosphate (IMP) and ammonia (NH 3 ) as ...
Protein toxicity is the effect of the buildup of protein metabolic waste compounds, like urea, uric acid, ammonia, and creatinine.Protein toxicity has many causes, including urea cycle disorders, genetic mutations, excessive protein intake, and insufficient kidney function, such as chronic kidney disease and acute kidney injury.
When the complex is unable to metabolize glycine properly, this causes excess glycine to build up to toxic levels in the body's organs and tissues. Damage caused by elevated levels of glycine in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid is responsible for the characteristic seizures, breathing difficulties, movement disorders, and intellectual disability.
Clinical findings in HHH syndrome are non-specific. If the disorder is suspected, laboratory testing can provide diagnostic information. Plasma amino acid analysis will show elevated ornithine levels, and urine amino acids will detect homocitrulline. Orotic acid may also be elevated. Ammonia levels can be variably elevated.
Argininosuccinic aciduria is an inherited disorder that causes the accumulation of argininosuccinic acid (also known as "ASA") in the blood and urine. Some patients may also have an elevation of ammonia, a toxic chemical, which can affect the nervous system.