CHOLYLGLYCINE SERUM LEVELS IN CIRRHOSIS - A CLINICAL AND LABORATORY EVALUATION

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of the measurement of fasting se rum levels of cholylglycine in patients with cirrhosis and to compare these with standard liver tests. Method: Serum levels of cholylglycine were measured by radioimmunoassay in 82 patients with cirrhosis who a lso underwent a complete clinical and laboratory evaluation. Results: Of the patients, 86.6% (68% with Child's class A cirrhosis, 87% with B and 97% with C; P= 0.015) had increased cholylglycine serum levels. T here were many significant correlations between cholylglycine and othe r liver tests. We also found a significant association with several cl inical parameters characteristic of advanced liver disease. The severi ty of cirrhosis also correlated with cholylglycine serum levels (P=0.0 08). Bile acid levels were found to be the most sensitive of the liver tests studied. Conclusions: Raised cholylglycine serum levels are ass ociated with liver dysfunction. Measurement of fasting cholylglycine l evels could be useful as a marker of severity in the evaluation and fo llow-up of cirrhotic patients, and could be applied along with other c ommonly used liver tests.