Human alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme activity in the sera of non-alcoholic liver cirrhotic patients.

The activities of class I and II alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzymes were examined in the sera of patients with non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis using a fluorometric method. The analysis of these results shows a statistically significant increase (2,5-times) in the activity of class I alcohol dehydrogenase, and no marked differences in the activity of class II in cirrhotic and control patients. The observed increase in total enzyme activity measured using a photometric method was not very high but confirmed the elevation of class I isoenzyme activity. Activities of both classes of alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzymes have a good correlation with aspartate aminotransferase. Class II isoenzyme activity additionally correlates with alkaline phosphatase. These results suggest that serum activity of class I alcohol dehydrogenase is a better indicator of liver cell destruction during non-alcoholic cirrhosis than total enzyme activity, and is comparable with the value of aspartate aminotransferase.