Serum alphaphetoprotein in chronic hepatitis. Scintigraphic correlations.

On studying a number of 59 patients with chronic active hepatitis and with hepatic cirrhosis, with 37% and 41% cases respectively our research-works have proved increased serum AFP concentrations varying between 30-45 ng/ml, their values being much larger in active hepatic cirrhosis. The significant increase in aminotransferase and bilirubin has been correlated with a more severe stage of the hepatic disease. The gamma glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP) assays for 9 of the 17 cases with active chronic hepatitis and for 17 cases with alcoholic hepatitis have shown a 6-15 times increase of this enzyme as compared to the other cases. Very high values of AFP, ranging between 300-900 ng/ml, have been found in the hepatic adenocirrhosis cases. A certain correlation between the AFP modifications and the scintigraphy has been found in 5 of the cases with malignant changes, in contrast with the AFP low and sporadic increase in the case of other gastrointestinal tract tumors. The scintigraphic modifications have been evident with low or multiple lacunary fixations, in considerable sizes and forms, with irregular edges, their dimensions, depending upon the disease evolution stage.