Quantitative determination of the abnormal lipoprotein of cholestasis, LP-X, in liver disease.

Quantitative determination of the abnormal plasma lipoprotein of cholestasis LP-X has been performed in 81 LP-X positive patients with different liver disorders. Great variations in the plasma concentration of LP-X were demonstrated both in the 45 patients with intrahepatic cholestasis (acute hepatitis, toxic hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis and cholangitis) and in the 36 patients with extrahepatic cholestasis (extrahepatic biliary obstruction by tumours and choledocholithiasis). The plasma concentratkons of LP-X in the patients with extrahepatic cholestasis (median 158 mg/100 ml) were significantly (psmaller than 0.001) higher than in the patients with intraphepatic cholestasis (median 25 mg/100 ml) was exceeded by 42% of the patients with extrahepatic biliary obstruction, and 33% of the patients with extrahepatic biliary obstruction, had LP-X LEVELS ABOVE 400 MG/100ML. The plasma concentration of LP-X was significantly correlated to the plasma activity of alkaline phosphatases and serum bilirubin, but seemed to be superior to these two parameters in the differentiation between intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholestasis. Plasma levels of LP-X above 400 mg/100 ml are highly indicative of extrahepatic biliary obstruction.