THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RIFAMYCIN-SV (R-SV) RELATED HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA AND ANTIPYRINE CLEARANCE AS A NEW TEST OF LIVER-FUNCTION IN CIRRHOSIS

Several clearance tests have been used to assess the residual hepatic efficiency in liver cirrhosis. However, the altered clearance values f ound in cirrhotic patients may reflect not only the impairment in live r function but also a derangement in the hepatic blood-flow. Therefore , this study was designed to explore the possibility that the competit ion between Rifamicyn-SV and bilirubin at the hepatic uptake site migh t be used as an index for quantitative assessment of residual hepatic efficiency in 48 patients with chronic liver disease. In this test, th e interference of hepatic blood flow would be negligible. Antipiryne c learance was also evaluated in the same subjects in order to explore t he cytoplasmic microsomial efficiency. Rifamicyn-SV intravenous load w as followed by a sustained increase in bilirubinaemia which significan tly related with the degree of liver function as assessed by the Chil- Pugh criteria. Also, antipiryne clearance was significantly altered in cirrhotic patients compared to controls. Moreover, a positive correla tion was found between the Rifamicyn-SV test and Antipiryne clearance. We suggest that a combination of these tests might be of use in the q uantitative assessment of liver function.