title: Chronic persistent hepatitis and unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.
abstract: The authors studied 12 patients with chronic persistent hepatitis and persistent or intermittent mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. Maximum serum total bilirubin concentration ranged from 2.1 to 3.6 mg/dl. Hemolysis was not evident. Hepatic bilirubin UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity assayed in each patient ranged from 0.16 to 0.39 U (mean +/- SEM = 0.27 +/- 0.02) compared to 0.68-1.99 (1.35 +/- 0.08) in 23 normals, 0.78-2.28 (1.41 +/- 0.05) in 53 patients with acute hepatitis, 0.34-1.74 (0.81 +/- 0.09) in 16 patients with anicteric chronic persistent hepatitis, and 0-0.62 (0.24 +/- 0.03) in 33 patients with Gilbert's syndrome. The mean UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity was significantly lower in anicteric chronic persistent hepatitis compared to normals, but higher than in Gilbert's syndrome. The incidence of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia among first degree relatives was 0:32 in icteric chronic persistent hepatitis compared to 24:85 (28%) in Gilbert's syndrome. These results show that the likely cause for the unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia associated with chronic persistent hepatitis is an acquired depression of hepatic bilirubin UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity. The data suggest that the enzyme defect is related to chronic persistent hepatitis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D005215:Fasting; D005878:Gilbert Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006461:Hemolysis; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006932:Hyperbilirubinemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D001663:Bilirubin