Ketone bodies in urine are possible causes

Ketone bodies are special metabolic products formed in the liver. They are also called acetone bodies. These include: acetoacetic, beta-hydroxybutyric acid, acetone. These substances have a similar chemical structure and have the property of interconversion. The synthesis of ketone bodies in the liver directly depends on the method of nutrition and can be seriously disturbed as a result of a metabolic malfunction. Formed in the liver, they leave with blood flow to the tissues of various organs, where they participate in the cycle of tricarboxylic acids, decomposing into water and carbon dioxide. It happens that they find ketone bodies in the urine. The causes of this phenomenon, as well as the possible implications of this symptom, will be discussed below.

As already mentioned, ketoids with blood flow from the liver are delivered to other organs. When they are abundant in the blood, they are released through breathing (even "acetone" smell is possible with the exhalation of air) and excretory system. In other words, ketone bodies appear in the urine. But the reasons that they are produced in excess can be different.

Synthesis of ketone bodies increases with starvation, constant carbohydrate nutrition, eating large amounts of protein products, alcoholic ketoacidosis, processing of alkaline salts (they violate the tricarbon cycle), eating foods that contain so-called ketogenic amino acids. Ketogenic amino acids include phenylalanine, tyrosine, isoleucine, leucine.

However, not only certain foods contribute to increased production of ketone bodies, which can cause ketone bodies in the urine, the cause of this can also be in surgery, pregnancy, significant physical exertion, insufficient insulin production. It is worth paying attention to the last possible reason. It is noted that the formation of ketone bodies in a very large amount - the so-called hyperketonemia - occurs with a diabetic coma.

In the presence of ketone bodies in the urine above the norm, urine acquires a specific "fruity" smell. For example, in diabetes mellitus, its odor can resemble rotten apples. The minimum should be the presence of ketone bodies in urine, their norm is 20-50 mg / day. In case the content of ketone bodies in the urine is higher than normal, this may indicate the course of pathological processes in the body. The presence of a large number of these substances in the urine is called ketonuria.

Based on the above information, it is worth paying special attention to the increased content of ketone bodies in the urine. The cause of ketonuria can be quite harmless, not associated with causing harm to the body. In small children, there is nothing to talk about ketone bodies in the urine. Their norm in children can be exceeded even with small changes in the diet, emotional experiences, fatigue. However, the cause of the appearance of ketone bodies in the urine may be pathological - for example, diabetes mellitus, influenza, scarlet fever, dysentery, acute pancreatitis, fever, anemia, precomatosis, infectious diseases and even mental illnesses, as well as many other ailments. In addition to the above reasons for exceeding the norm of ketone bodies in urine, the cause may be a rare congenital disease, like leucinosis.

When carrying out tests for the presence of ketones, the patient receives a negative result if the ketone bodies in the urine do not exceed the norm, and positive if there are more of them in the urine than necessary. The number of "pluses" as a result of the analysis may indicate the degree of ketonuria. For example, one "cross" - a reaction weakly positive, four - the resulting reaction is pronounced, which probably indicates a serious pathology.

The results of the analysis on ketonuria can not unambiguously indicate the disease in the patient. Even a high indicator of the presence of ketone bodies in the urine does not always indicate that there is a serious threat to health. However, they can be an indication for further examination of the general condition.