A Study on Hepaplastintest in Liver diseases

Abstract

The liver has close relation with blood coagulation. All the factors of blood coagulation except factor VIII are synthesized by the liver. Hepaplastintest (HPT) is a method to assay the activity of three coagulation factors (II, VII, X) which are synthesized by the hepatocyte. As the level of coagulation factors depends both on hepatic synthesis and on the effect of inhibitors, it is suspected that HPT (an inhibitor-insensitive method) might be available for liver function test.HPT was compared with other biochemical tests to asess its diagnostic and prognostic value in hepatocellar disease. Fourty five patients with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and primary liver carcinoma were studied. Still, HPT in rabbits with acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride is assayed, and our results are summarized below.1) The value of HPT decreased in the early stage of acute hepatitis, but increased following the recovery. HPT often became restored to normal before the transaminase.2) In the patients with chronic inactive hepatitis, HPT values varied within normal range, but in most cases with chronic active hepatitis and especially with liver cirrhosis ramained decreased for long. However, in the cases with primary hepatoma the values of HPT deviated almost only within the normal range or decreased slightly.3) We found highly significant correlation of HPT with serum albumin, cholinesterase, ICG and prothrombin time.4) In rabbits with acute liver cell damage induced by CCl4, HPT values most decreased one day after CCl4 administration, while SGOT and SGPT most elevated one day and three days respectively after the administration of CCl4. HPT values were improved and became normal during seven days, however SGPT remained at a high level.In the clinical and experimental study we observed that HPT often normalized earlier than the SGPT activity of serum in acute liver injury, but it was not clear whether transaminases became elevated before the HPT values became reduced.HPT, which reflects the synthesis of three clotting factors in the hepatocyte, is usef ull as diagnostic and prognostic tools. HPT also has advantage of easy technical practicability.