Background In recent years, there have been reports that L carnitine is useful in the improvement of hyperammonemia and cognitive function in patients with liver cirrhosis and muscle symptoms in dialysis patients. We measured carnitine levels in patients with liver cirrhosis, including dialysis patients, and examined whether administration of L carnitine improved muscle symptoms.

Methods We measured carnitine levels in 27 patients with liver cirrhosis classification who were receiving treatment in our hospital for one month and examined the presence/absence of the symptom. We measure carnitine concentration before and after dialysis, before dialysis after the administration to eight dialysis patients, and before and after the administration to 19 nondiabetic patients. In addition, we examined the presence/absence of symptoms after the administration of L-carnitine in symptomatic patients.

Results In the total carnitinnitine mo-dialytic patients, the total care levels before the dialysis of dialysis patients were low, with a mean of 42.2 µmol/L, which was significant to 17.7 µmol/L after the dialysis (P=0.11). It was increased to 155 µmol/L after the administration of L-carnitine. The total carnitine levels were significantly increased from 71.7 µmol/L to 101.7 µmol/L after administering L-carnitine (P<0.05). In a total of 27 patients, muscle cramps existed in 18 patients(67%), consisting of four(50%) out of 8 dialytic patients and 14(74%) out of 19 nondialysis patients. For symptomatic patients, significant improvement in muscle clamps was observed in the L-carnitine-administrated group when compared with the non-administrated group (p=0.0002).

Conclusions Total carnitine levels were low even before dialysis in the dialysis patients with liver cirrhosis in particular and further decreased after the dialysis.

Administration of L-carnitine increased total carnitine levels and improved symptoms. Based on these results, we conclude that L-carnitine is useful for carnitine deficiency in patients with liver cirrhosis.