Gastric clearance of serum albumin in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Gastric albumin clearance studies were carried out in 26 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and in 10 control subjects. The mean clearance was significantly higher in patients than in control subjects. An increased protein gastric loss in cirrhotic patients was observed only in presence of gastritis. The presence or absence of distended esophageal varices did not influence the protein loss.