EFFECTS OF ACUTE INFECTIOUS-HEPATITIS AND CIRRHOSIS OF LIVER ON NONERYTHROPOIETIC COMPONENT OF EARLY BILIRUBIN

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 87  (2) , 240-250
Abstract
The nonerythropoietic component of early labeled bilirubin in plasma and bile was studied in 7 patients with acute infectious hepatitis during the late convalescent stage, in 13 patients with Laennec-type liver cirrhosis and in 7 control subjects after i.v. injection of a tracer dose (2.5 .mu.Ci) of 4-14C-.delta.-aminolevulinic acid (14C-.delta.ALA). All subjects were examined during the nonicteric stage. In control subjects the mean cumulative radioactivity readings in 4 h were 29.6 .+-. 4.7 .times. 103 disintegration per minute (d.p.m.)/mg times 4 h in plasma and 27.0 .+-. 1.2 .times. 103 d.p.m./mg times 4 h in bite. In acute infectious hepatitic patients the mean cumulative radioactivity readings for both plasma and bile in 4 h were approximately twice that found in control subjects. In mild cirrhotic patients with enlarged liver on scintigram, the mean cumulative radioactivity readings for both plasma and bile were approximately 1.4 times that in control subjects. In patients with more advanced cirrhosis and markedly small livers on scintigram, the mean cumulative radioactivity readings for both plasma and bile were as low as approximately 0.5 that of control subjects. The liver is important in the production of the nonerythropoietic component of early bilirubin in man.

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