URINARY 6-BETA-HYDROXYCORTISOL EXCRETION IN PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOLIC LIVER-DISEASE

To assess changes in hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme systems in patie nts with alcoholic liver disease, the urinary excretion of 6 beta-hydr oxycortisol (6 beta-OHF) was measured with high performance liquid chr omatography. Urinary excretion of 6 beta-OHE expressed as mu g/day, mu g/mg creatinine and the percentage of 6 beta-OHF to 17-hydroxycortico steroids(17-OHCS), , was significantly increased in the patients with alcoholic liver disease compared with the controls. The urinary 6 beta -OHF excretion was higher in alcoholic liver cirrhosis than in alcohol ic liver fibrosis, but not significant. In non alcoholic liver disease , the excretion of 6 beta-OHF was similar to that of the control. In 2 7 patients with alcoholic liver disease, the raised urinary excretion of 6 beta-OHF rapidly decreased to the normal range within 2 weeks aft er abstinence (P<0.01). In these patients, the urinary 6 beta-OHF excr etion did not correlate with GGT. These results indicated that alcohol consumption increase the urinary 6 beta-OHF excretion through inducti on of 6 beta-hydroxylase regardless of liver lesion and that the raise d induction rapidly decrease within 2 weeks after abstinence, suggesti ng that urinary 6 beta-OHF excretion is useful index of alcohol induct ion.