Oral ammonia tolerance test in patients with portal hypertension.

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Abstract
Patients [80] with portal hypertension due to various hepatic diseases were subjected to the oral ammonia tolerance test (OATT). Blood samples were collected before and at 30 min intervals after the administration of ammonium chloride (50 mg/kg). The ammonia levels, the OATT curve patterns and .SIGMA. NH3-N [sum of blood ammonia concentrations from all blood samples] values were determined. Whether there are correlations between these values and various other parameters of hepatic function was studied. The results of OATT correlated with the plasma dissappearance rate of indocyanine green and the molar ratio of branched chain amino acids to aromatic amino acids. The OATT may reflect the degree of hepatic parenchymal disorders rather than the hepatic circulatory abnormalities. They may represent a valuable aid in the differential diagnosis of hepatic diseases and in determining the operative indication.