[The use of a fluorescent probe in assessing the binding ability of human serum albumin in liver insufficiency].

Quenching of the fluorescence of the N-phenyl-1-amino-8-sulfonaphthalene (ANS) probe in the blood serum of icteric patients is due to not only bilirubin, but more so to other binding inhibitors characteristic of hepatic insufficiency of various etiology. The effects of these inhibitors on ANS binding with albumin may be essentially attenuated if the normal pH values be replaced by pH 4.0. The index, representing the ratio of the ANS fluorescence intensities in the blood serum at pH 7.4 and 4.0, characterizes the serum albumin binding capacity in hepatic insufficiency, and derivation of this index may be used as a clinical laboratory test.