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Background and purpose: Acetaminophen that is used as an analgesic and antipyretic drug can induce severe hepatotoxicity in humans following accidental or intentional overdose. Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body that is not incorporated into proteins but is found as a free amino acid in the body. This study aimed at investigating the changes in plasma concentration of taurine and liver biomarkers in acute poisoning with acetaminophen. Materials and methods: We measured the taurine concentrations in plasma in 30 acutely poisoned patients with acetaminophen attending the poison department in Sina Hospital in admission time and 12 hours after admission and in 30 healthy individuals (control group) using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Also, ALT, AST, and PT as biomarkers of liver were measured by Auto-Analyzer. Data was analyzed using two-tailed unpaired student t-test and ANOVA. Results: Mean plasma taurine concentrations in the Acetaminophen -poisoned patients in admission, and 12 hours after admission were 36.91±3.449 mg/l and 27.82±4.020 mg/l, respectively. Significant differences were seen in the mean plasma taurine concentration between the patients and the control group (4.62 ± 0.451) (P<0.001). There was no significant correlation between plasma taurine concentrations and plasma ALT, AST, and PT (P>0.05). Conclusion: Taurine is released by the liver in response to a toxic insult in the first 12 hours and is increased in plasma and urine, whereas, other liver biomarkers are increased in liver 12 hours following acetaminophen overdose.

Keywords: Acetaminophen, amino acids, taurine, biomarkers

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