Role of serum markers for liver function and liver regeneration in the management of chloroform poisoning.
Accidental or intentional chloroform poisoning is rare, but a few such cases have been reported in literature. We report here a successful management of acute chloroform toxicity in a 33-year-old white female who attempted suicide by injecting one half milliliter of chloroform, followed by drinking half a cup the next morning. Plasma chloroform levels, measured by headspace gas chromatography declined rapidly. Sequential measurement of biomarkers in serum for liver cell necrosis, liver function, and liver regeneration indicated the presence of initial liver damage followed by recovery. These results suggest that in addition to biomarkers for liver cell necrosis, serial determinations of markers for liver regeneration provide objective evidence for recovery from chloroform poisoning and possibly other hepatotoxins.
Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15213.
K N
KN
Rao
M A
MA
Virji
M A
MA
Moraca
W F
WF
Diven
T G
TG
Martin
S M
SM
Schneider
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002725:Chloroform / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009336:Necrosis / Q000097:blood; D013406:Suicide, Attempted
D015415:Biomarkers; D002725:Chloroform