THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMINOPYRINE BREATH TEST AND SEVERITY OF LIVER-DISEASE IN CIRRHOSIS

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 76  (2) , 110-113
Abstract
Patients (22) with cirrhosis were evaluated by the 2 h (C14)-aminopyrine breath test, the conventional liver tests and 2 systems for grading the severity of liver disease. Patients (23) with noncirrhotic liver disease and 15 controls were also studied. Reduced 14CO2 values were found in 21 of the 22 cirrhotic patients, and 7 of those had noncirrhotic liver disease associated with severe functional reserve impairment. The values in patients with minor liver diseases or cholestasis were normal. In the cirrhotic patients, 2 h (C14)-aminopyrine breath test scores correlated with prothrombin time, retention of bromosulfophthalein, fasting serum bile acid, albumin, bilirubin, serum aspartate aminotransferase and, above all, with the scores of the 2 clinical rating systems. The 2 h (C14)-aminopyrine breath test was superior to conventional tests in quantifying the degree of hepatic functional reserve and forecasting the prognosis.