URINARY L-FUCOSE - A NEW MARKER FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE

The urinary levels Of L-fucose were measured in 131 patients with chro nic liver diseases. The mean urinary levels of L-fucose (mumol/g creat inine) were significantly higher in the patients with chronic persiste nt hepatitis (211 +/- 52), chronic active hepatitis (250 +/- 70), cirr hosis (270 +/- 67) and hepatocellular carcinoma (298 +/- 104) than in normal subjects (147 +/- 34). Significant correlations were found betw een the urinary level of L-fucose and the conventional liver function tests. A positive correlation was observed between the urinary level o f L-fucose and serum activity of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline ph osphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, serum bilirubin, floccula tion test, or indocyanine green excretion test (ICG). A negative corre lation was also noted between the urinary level of L-fucose and prothr ombin time, hepaplastin test, albumin and cholinesterase. In conclusio n, increase in the urinary level of L-fucose is related to the degree of chronic liver disease, and the measurement of urinary L-fucose conc entration may, therefore, be a useful marker of chronic liver diseases .