Elements in normal and cirrhotic human liver tissue. II. Potassium, sulphur, chlorine and bromine measured by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

Elements (K, S, Cl, Br) were measured by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry in normal liver tissue obtained at autopsy from 74 subjects (44 male, 30 female), median age 62 years (range 20-87), and in cirrhotic liver tissue from 27 subjects (14 alcoholic, 13 non-alcoholic cirrhosis). The element content (median and 5-95 percentile interval) in normal livers in mmol/kg dry tissue was: K, 198.75 (150.95-256.42); S, 147.60 (73.86-233.97); Cl, 98.73 (69.51-163.55); Br, 0.1101 (0.0701-0.4205). None of the elements displayed any sex difference. There were correlations between the content of Br and Cl (r = 0.26, P less than 0.05) and Br and K (r = 0.24, p less than 0.05). In both groups of cirrhotic livers, K, S and Cl content was within the normal range. Median Br content was above normal both in alcoholic (0.2265 mmol/kg, P less than 0.01) and non-alcoholic cirrhotic livers (0.2228 mmol/kg, P less than 0.01).