GLYCOCHOLIC ACID IN CHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITIS AND MILD LIVER-DISEASES

Serum levels of fasting glycocholic acid were measured in various nonc irrhotic liver diseases. Forty-five patients were evaluated, 15 with c hronic active hepatitis and 30 with mild liver diseases including chro nic persistent hepatitis, steatosis, and minimal changes. There were i ncreased levels of glycocholic acid in 53.3% of chronic active hepatit is cases and in 10% of mile liver disease cases (P=0.003), and the lev els reached by patients with chronic active hepatitis were higher than those in patients with mild liver disease (P<0.0001). The latter did not show significant differences in their serum levels or in the perce ntage of abnormal results with respect to control group. There were we ak, although significant, correlations between glycocholic acid and tr ansaminases, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, album in, and gammaglobulin. In the present study, the specificity of glycoc holic acid was high in the detection of chronic active hepatitis patie nts at different cutoff levels. Glycocholic acid appeared to reflect h istological severity in this group of noncirrhotic liver diseases and might have practical applications in the management of these patients.