A Study on the Significance of the Colloidal Radiogold Disappearance Rate as a Simple Clinical Liver Function Test

임상간기능검사법(臨床肝機能檢査法)으로서의 교질형방사성금(膠質形放射性金)의 혈중소실율(血中消失率)의 의의(意義)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究)

Liver functions in diffuse parenchymal liver disease such as cirrhosis of the liver depend largely on the effective hepatic blood flow rather than on the individual cell functions. Clinical methods of measuring the hepatic blood flow were developed recently by the application of colloidal disappearance rate. In order to correlate the radiogold disappearance rate to conventional biochemical liver function tests, 21 normal subjects and 80 cases of cirrhosis of the liver were studied with both methods. The results are summarized as following: 1. The validity of external counting method to measure the blood disappearance rate of colloidal radiogold was confirmed by in vitro counting of the serial blood samples. 2. The blood disappearance rate of collidal radiogold was essentially the same. as the liver uptake rate of colloidal radiogold in normal and cirrhotic subjects with various degrees of functional disturbance. And it seemed there was no serious extrahepatic removal of the colloidal radiogold. 3. The disappearance rate of colloidal radiogold was not significantly changed by the posture change, but was enhanced by ingestion of 500 ml of water. 4. The disappearance rate of colloidal radiogold was not influenced by single dose of Telepaque, while BSP retention was increased after Telepaque. 5. The mean disappearance half time of colloidal radiogold in normal subjects was $2.49{\pm}0.391$(S.D.) minutes. The mean normal disappearance rate constant (K value) was $0.285{\pm}0.0428$(S.D.)/minute. 6. The colloidal radiogold disappearance half time was abnormally prolonged (over 3.2 min.) in $87.7{\pm}3.68$(S.D.) % of cirrhotic subjects. 7. In patients of liver cirrhosis the blood disappearance rate of colloidal radiogold correlated well to serum albumin and globulin levels and BSP retention which were considered to reflect functions of hepatic parenchymal cells. There was, however, no correlation between colloidal disappearance rate and thymol turbidity test, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and serm alkaline phosphatase activities. The latters were considered to be associated with the activity of liver disease.