Abstract
In the serum of the patients with obstructive jaundice, the phospholipid levelswere remarkably elevated, and they were significantly lowered in the patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Those who showed low serum phospholipid levels in spite of severe jaundice had far advanced hepatocellular damages and died within few months after the measurements.
The serum phospholipids were fractionated with silicic acid impregnated paper-chromatography. The decreased level of lysolecithin reflected the hepatocellular damages. Lecithin, which occupies the majar part of serum phospholipids, are responsible for the alteration of total serum phospholipid level.
Fatty acid compisition of these serum phospholipids were studied with gas-chromato graphy. Linolecic and arachidonic acid levels were significantly decreased in the patients of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, which suggested the distrubed metabolism of these essential fatty acids in these patients.
