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Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH) Unit Converter
Alcohol Dehydrogenase (ADH) refers to a group of dehydrogenase enzymes that occur in many organisms and facilitate the interconversion between alcohols and aldehydes or ketones. In humans, ADH is found in high concentrations in the liver and the lining of the stomach. Its primary physiological role is the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde, a critical step in alcohol metabolism.
Clinically, ADH activity measurements are significant in the evaluation of liver diseases, as hepatocellular damage releases cytosolic ADH into the bloodstream. It is also central to toxicology, as ADH metabolizes toxic alcohols like methanol and ethylene glycol into harmful metabolites. Inhibiting ADH (using Fomepizole) is the standard treatment for such poisonings. Because ADH is an enzyme, its levels are reported in units of catalytic activity (U/L or µkat/L).
SI Units
RecommendedMicrokatals and Nanokatals per liter.
Conventional Units
Clinical Context
Serum ADH activity is markedly elevated in acute viral hepatitis and toxic liver injury (often peaking earlier than ALT or AST). However, it is notably not elevated in obstructive jaundice, making it a potentially useful discriminator in complex hepatobiliary cases.
In cases of Methanol or Ethylene Glycol poisoning, the goal is to inhibit ADH to prevent the formation of formic acid or oxalic acid, respectively. While ADH levels themselves are rarely monitored for therapeutic dosing, understanding the enzymatic activity is crucial. The conversion factor follows standard enzyme kinetics: 1 U/L ≈ 16.67 nkat/L.
Clinical References
How to Use This Calculator
Follow these steps to get accurate clinical conversions instantly.
Enter Values
Input your laboratory results into the corresponding unit field (e.g., U/L). You can use either dot or comma decimals.
Automatic Conversion
The calculator works in real-time. As you type in one field, all other units (like µkat/L) are instantly updated.
Verify Units
Check the SI Units section. Both µkat/L and nkat/L are provided as standard options.
Reset
Use the Clear button to reset all fields before starting a new calculation.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
The katal (kat) is the SI unit for catalytic activity. 1 katal = 1 mole of substrate converted per second. It is much larger than the “Unit” (U), so µkat or nkat are used clinically.
ADH is an enzyme. We measure how fast it works (activity), not how much it weighs (mass).