The impact of total parenteral nutrition on liver function tests in patients with cancer.

In 143 patients undergoing 199 cycles of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), alkaline phosphatase (AP), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), direct bilirubin (DB), total bilirubin (TB), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured and recorded before initiating TPN and weekly for seven weeks or until TPN was discontinued. Patterns of change were elevations and then plateaued. Direct bilirubin, TB and LDH showed no significant change. The patterns were independent of patient age, amount of fat emulsion administered, tumor burden, and nonprotein calorie to basal energy expenditure ratio.