Normal antipyrine metabolism in patients with cholesterol cholelithiasis. Evidence that the disease is not due to generalized hepatic microsomal dysfunction.

Plasma antipyrine half-lives and metabolic clearances were measured after a single oral dose of antipyrine in 10 control subjects, 12 patients with gallstones, and 9 patients having undergone cholecystectomy for cholesterol cholelithiasis, to determine whether impairment of hepatic antipyrine metabolism occurs in patients with cholesterol cholelithiasis. The plasma antipyrine half-life and metabolic clearances in the control subjects were 11.7 plus or minus 1.3 hours and 42.5 plus or minus 3.3 ml/min, respectively; in patients with gallstones, 12.3 plus or minus 1.3 hours and 36.0 plus or minus 3.2 ml/min, respectively; and in patients having undergone cholecystectomy, 13.2 plus or minus 1.8 hours and 33.8 plus or minus 4.2 ml/min, respectively. Values for antipyrine half-life and metabolic clearance were not statistically different in these three groups. This study suggests the presence of normal hepatic antipyrine metablosim in patients with cholesterolcholelithiasis.