INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON THE MONOETHYLGLYCINEXYLIDIDE TEST IN NORMAL SUBJECTS AND LIVER-DONORS

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of gender on monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) formation in normal subjects and cada veric liver donors. The study included 92 male and female healthy volu nteers <45 years of age and 98 age- and sex-matched liver donors from a previous study, whose livers were used for transplantation. Women <4 5 years not taking contraceptives showed significantly lower MEGX conc entrations 30 min after lidocaine administration than men [median (16- 84th percentile)]: 59 mug/L (4170 mug/L) versus 81 mug/L (58-98 mug/L) ]. The lowest MEGX 30 min values were observed in women taking contrac eptives: 39 mug/L (25-48 mug/L). Intraindividual variability of serial MEGX tests was moderate (median: 17.8%, n = 8) when measured in femal e subjects taking no contraceptives and males. Cadaveric liver donors showed significantly higher MEGX 15 and 30 min values compared with no rmal subjects (p less-than-or-equal-to 0.0001). There was no statistic ally significant difference between MEGX values obtained in male and f emale cadaveric donors. The urinary excretion of MEGX was similar in m ale and female normal subjects. Our results suggest that sex-related d ifferences in MEGX formation as well as the influence of contraceptive s have to be taken into account when test results from living related liver donors and patients with less advanced chronic liver disease are evaluated. In cadaveric liver donors, however, sex-related difference s do not affect MEGX formation.