Valproic Acid-associated Hypoalbuminemia in Medically Fragile Patients

Valproic acid (VPA) is a long-chain fatty acid frequently used as an antiepileptic agent in pediatric and adult seizure patients. Other adverse effects that have been associated with VPA use include hepatic steatosis, altered mitochondrial function and decreased concentrations of serum proteins. The exact mechanism or mechanisms by which VPA induces these associated adverse drug effects are not fully understood though multiple theories have been postulated including impaired vesicle transport within the hepatocyte, inhibition of hepatic synthetic metabolic pathways and renal protein loss. Decreased serum albumin concentrations with concomitant VPA use have been identified in multiple studies. Albumin synthesis is sensitive to tryptophan concentrations (other amino acids are also able to stimulate albumin synthesis), oncotic pressure near the synthetic site, and energy supply while albumin release from the hepatocyte is sensitive to intrahepatocellular potassium concentrations. Based on available literature, VPA appears to inhibit an enzyme(s) either directly or indirectly involved with albumin synthesis or albumin gene expression. VPA is known to inhibit the urea cycle, including patients with ornithine-transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, possibly by inhibiting mitochondrial carbamoyl-phosphate synthase. Oratz et al discussed the potential correlation between the urea cycle and albumin synthesis identified after the administration of various amino acids increased both albumin and urea synthesis. Ornithine is an intermediate amino acid within the urea cycle and it is also a precursor to polyamines which have been shown to increase the degree of aggregation of polysomes, responsible for protein synthesis, bound to the endoplasmic reticulum. Thus, VPA may indirectly inhibit protein synthesis by interfering with the urea cycle leading to decreased ornithine concentrations and subsequently a decrease in polyamine concentrations and a decrease in the number of bound polysomes resulting in alterations in albumin synthesis and release. The purpose of this study is to investigate potential mechanisms of VPA-associated hypoalbuminemia in medically fragile pediatric and young adult epileptic patients of a long-term care facility.