The relationship between conventional liver tests, quantitative function tests, and histopathology in cirrhosis.

Thirty patients with cirrhosis were evaluated with the 2-hr [14C]aminopyrine breath test (score) and with conventional liver tests. Of the 30 patients, 24 also had current liver biopsies. There was a good correlation between necroinflammatory activity in the 24 cirrhotic liver biopsies and the 2-hr aminopyrine scores. All five patients who had at least grade 2 necroinflammatory activity on their biopsy had an abnormal prothrombin time (greater than 3.5 sec above control) and their aminopyrine score was less than 2%. The correlation was good between the 2-hr aminopyrine score and the prothrombin time (seconds over control). No correlation was found between the 2-hr aminopyrine score and either the serum aspartate aminotransferase (SGOT) or any other liver test except for the prothrombin time. It seems that the 2-hr aminopyrine score and prothrombin time are more likely to give a quantitative estimate of total functioning parenchymal mass which is left unaffected by hepatocellular disease in cirrhosis, than the other commonly used liver tests.