LOW ACTIVITIES OF SERUM γ-GLUTAMYL TRANSPEPTIDASE IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE INTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS

MEASUREMENT OF LIVER γ-GLUTAMYL TRANSPEPTIDASE

Abstract

To elucidate the lowering mechanism of serum γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP) activities in patients with acute intrahepatic cholestasis (AIHC), liver γ-GTP activities were determined. In patients with AIHC, in spite of low activities of serum γ-GTP, the liver enzyme levels were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects and in patients with chronic liver disease (p<0.02). Liver γ-GTP activities in all subjects significantly correlated with the liver alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (p<0.001). On the other hand, liver ALP activities in AIHC patients also increased, and the ALP levels in all subjects significantly correlated with serum ALP levels (p<0.001).
An electrophoretic study of liver γ-GTP showed similar mobility among normal, liver cirrhosis and AIHC. Moreover, no inhibitors of γ-GTP were detected in sera of patients with AIHC.
These results suggest that low γ-GTP activities in sera of AIHC are due to the release obstacle of the enzyme from the liver.