Serum free amino acid depletion in ketotic children.

Changes in serum free amino acids as a response to ketogenic provocative test were studied in children with a history of ketosis but without hypoglycemia. 1. Of the 17 children who underwent the provocative test, only three showed clinical manifestations. They were among five children who responded to the test and developed hypoglycemia. 2. Hypoglycemic and non-hypoglycemic children differed greatly in the decrement of serum total gluconeogenic amino acids after completion of the test due to the relatively lower levels before provocation in the hypoglycemic group and the inversely higher levels in the non-hypoglycemic group. 3. Gluconeogenic amino acids that decreased sharply after the test were glycine, alanine, glutamine and glutamate.