Clinical application of the measurement of serum asialoglycoproteins to estimate residual liver function in patients with chronic liver diseases with or without hepatocellular carcinoma.

The correlation between the amount of asialoglycoproteins and results of conventional liver function tests was studied in patients with chronic liver diseases, with or without hepatocellular carcinoma. The objective was to determine the clinical significance of the measurement of levels of serum asialoglycoproteins. The levels were elevated in accordance with the progress of liver diseases, and correlated with the decrease in albumin content, cholinesterase activity, the ratio of esterified cholesterol to total cholesterol and to the increase of indocyanine green retention at 15 min (p less than 0.001). There was no correlation with values of glutamic oxaloacetic and pyruvic transaminases. The amount of serum asialoglycoproteins also correlated with survival time in fatal cases of cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. Bilirubin and bile acids did not interfere with the measurement of serum asialoglycoproteins in cases of hyperbilirubinemia. Serum asialoglycoprotein levels are a good indicator of hepatic functional reserve in patients with chronic liver diseases, with or without hepatocellular carcinoma.