Table 3.

Plasma lactate and amino acid results in MELAS patients and controls

Analyte (μmol/l)	MELAS (n = 9)	Controls (n = 19)	p value
Lactate [0.5–2.2] (× 103)	3.37 ± 0.52	1.22 ± 0.10	0.003*
Alanine [200–480]	492.78 ± 22.43	451.00 ± 29.16	0.147
Aminobutirate [7–40]	13.67 ± 1.67	26.79 ± 2.90	0.003*
Arginine [30–120]	142.56 ± 41.93	59.26 ± 5.17	0.002*
Asparagine [20–125]	46.11 ± 3.49	63.37 ± 4.63	0.021*
Cystine [15–50]	37.56 ± 2.59	55.53 ± 3.10	0.002*
Citrulline [10–50]	64.11 ± 15.87	31.79 ± 3.00	0.089
Glutamate [15–80]	22.67 ± 3.37	45.05 ± 5.68	0.017*
Glutamine [350–650]	393.67 ± 25.19	517.37 ± 23.25	0.005*
Glycine [130–315]	132.33 ± 9.86	230.95 ± 12.55	< 0.001*
Histidine [45–110]	72.89 ± 4.00	76.37 ± 3.10	0.712
Hydroxyproline [5–50]	10.89 ± 0.86	13.42 ± 1.18	0.167
Isoleucine [30–85]	76.11 ± 3.36	69.37 ± 4.61	0.389
Leucine [70–150]	140.89 ± 6.53	135.89 ± 9.41	0.941
Lysine [100–240]	148.33 ± 12.59	220.95 ± 11.96	0.002*
Methionine [15–45]	17.67 ± 2.07	26.21 ± 2.40	0.013*
Ornithine [30–100]	152.89 ± 32.41	104.16 ± 8.80	0.201
Phenylalanine [40–80]	50.22 ± 2.74	58.58 ± 3.23	0.099
Phosphoethanolamine [30–100]	24.67 ± 1.39	48.10 ± 9.59	0.120
Phosphoserine [3–10]	4.00 ± 0.41	6.47 ± 0.50	0.004*
Proline [80–300]	165.44 ± 30.70	181.26 ± 11.01	0.258
Serine [75–180]	83.67 ± 6.37	132.63 ± 6.27	< 0.001*
Taurine [25–110]	50.78 ± 7.39	51.52 ± 4.23	0.824
Threonine [50–200]	85.33 ± 1.74	168.63 ± 12.19	< 0.001*
Tryptophan [20–70]	28.78 ± 2.45	33.68 ± 2.16	0.160
Tyrosine [35–80]	56.11 ± 4.35	61.26 ± 3.68	0.389
Valine [150–300]	251.56 ± 13.69	251.47 ± 14.83	0.941

Data are shown as mean ± SE and expressed as μmol/l. Normal range for each metabolite is shown in brackets

*Significant result (p < 0.05)