Antipyrine clearance per unit liver volume in cirrhotics with and without hepatocellular carcinoma indicating a correlation with histological change of the liver.

The antipyrine metabolizing capacity was studied in 12 patients with cirrhosis of the liver and 12 with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Antipyrine clearance (Cl) and liver volume (LV) were measured and the antipyrine clearance per unit liver volume (Cl/LV) was calculated. The patients with HCC showed a significantly lower Cl value than those without HCC but there was no significant difference in Cl/LV between the two groups. This suggested that the lower Cl values in the HCC patients resulted from a decrease in residual liver mass. Cl/LV showed positive correlation with % parenchymal cell mass as an indicator of residual parenchymal cell mass per unit volume of liver. This result showed a correlation of Cl/LV with histological change of the liver in cirrhotics.