Plasma free amino acid pattern in chronic hepatitis as a sensitive and prognostic index.

To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of plasma amino acid imbalance in chronic hepatitis (CH), plasma-free neutral amino acid levels were examined in 47 patients with CH, consisting of 8 chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), 26 chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH) 2A and 13 CAH 2B, compared with those of 58 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and of 12 healthy controls. Fischer's ratio (a molar ratio of branched chain amino acids to aromatic amino acids) was found to be reduced in the order of normal subjects (3.5 +/- 0.4), CPH (3.0 +/- 0.2), CAH2A (2.7 +/- 0.3), CAH2B (2.1 +/- 0.3), compensated LC (LC-C, 1.5 +/- 0.4) and decompensated LC (LC-D, 1.1 +/- 0.2). Patients with CPH showed a significant decrease of the ratio compared with normal subjects (P less than 0.05). The ratio was significantly higher in patients with CAH 2B in comparison with LC-C (P less than 0.001). Especially, the ratio could be used to discriminate the three distinct stages of CH. Discriminant analysis, carried out using six amino acids, Fischer's ratio and conventional liver function tests indicated that Fischer's ratio was the most reliable parameter for differentiation of the three stages of CH. Furthermore, serial examinations of Fischer's ratio in patients with CH remained unchanged in CPH, whereas was significantly reduced in CAH during 2-3 years follow-up. These results strongly suggest that Fischer's ratio is a useful indicator for differential diagnosis and for prediction of the subsequent clinical course of CH as well as being a sensitive index for functional hepatic reserve in chronic active liver diseases.