Acylcarnitine C16:1-OH Unit Converter

Acylcarnitine C16:1-OH, also called 3-hydroxypalmitoleoylcarnitine, is a long-chain hydroxylated acylcarnitine found in the blood. It is formed when the body attempts to break down a 16-carbon unsaturated fatty acid but the process is incomplete, leaving a hydroxylated intermediate attached to carnitine.

Carnitine acts as a shuttle, carrying fatty acids into the mitochondria where they are converted to energy. When an enzyme in this pathway is impaired, hydroxylated acylcarnitines like C16:1-OH accumulate in the blood instead of being fully metabolized.

C16:1-OH is typically measured alongside other long-chain hydroxylated acylcarnitines such as C16-OH, C18-OH, and C18:1-OH. Together, these markers help identify disorders of long-chain fatty acid oxidation.

C16:1-OH is produced inside mitochondria when long-chain unsaturated fatty acids undergo beta-oxidation. It accumulates when the enzyme long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD), part of the mitochondrial trifunctional protein, is deficient or impaired.