Abstract

The author investigated changes of serum lipoprotein fractions, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and some liver function tests in 46 cases of patients with various liver diseases who had visited or been admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine, Busan National University Hospital and 5 cases of healthy control subjects from January, 1983 to August, 1983. The 46 cases of liver disease were consisted of 11 cases of acute hepatitis, 11 cases of chronic hepatitis, 13 cases of liver cirrhosis and 11 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma. Diagnosis was confirmed clinically and histopathologically in all the patients. Serum total protein was measured by Biuret method and transaminase was measured by modified Henry method. The cholesterol and trigoycerides were measured by cholesterol oxidase and enzymatic methods, respectively. The protein and lipoprotein fractions were analyzed by cellulose actate electrophoresis. The results obtained were summerized as follows: 1) Serum pre-beta-lipoprotein level was significantly decreased in various liver diseases compared with controls and was more significantly lower in liver cirrhosis than in chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. And serum betalipoprotein level was significantly increased in various liver disease compared with controls. 2) Serum total cholesterol level was significantly decreased in liver cirrhosis and was significantly lower in liver cirrhosis than in chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. And serum triglyceride level was significantly decreased in liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma but increased in chronic hepatitis. 3) There was posititive correlation between serum alpha-lipoprotein and alph-2-globulin in control and chronic heptitis, and negative correlation between pre-beta-lipoprotein and alpha-2-globulin and between alpha-lipoprotein and AST in control. And there was also negative correlation between pre-beta-lipoprotein and gamma-globulin in liver cirrhosis.