Pulmonary disease and antipyrine clearance.

We investigated hepatic microsomal enzyme activity by the one-sample saliva test for antipyrine clearance determination in 35 homozygous, alpha 1-antitrypsin-deficient outpatients with chronic pulmonary disease. Twenty-five outpatients with chronic obstructive lung disease and comparable lung function impairment and 31 healthy volunteers served as controls. Antipyrine clearance did not differ significantly between the two groups of patients with pulmonary disease. However, the clearance was 18% lower in these two groups than in the healthy volunteers (P less than 0.01). Antipyrine clearance was lowest in patients with severe lung function impairment (P less than 0.01).