title: The value of liver function tests in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: This study was undertaken to see if liver function tests (LFT) served a worthwhile purpose in the investigation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sera from 80 HCC, 76 benign liver disease (BLD) and 152 healthy adult (HA) subjects were assayed for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin and albumin. Cut-off values were determined from the HA. ALP, GGT, AST and albumin were abnormal in about 90% of the HCC. With the exception of bilirubin, the LFT were abnormal more frequently in HCC than in chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, the conditions which preceed it. Raised ALP in the presence of normal bilirubin was more often a feature of HCC than BLD although this relationship was not statistically significant. It seems unlikely that LFT serve a useful function in HCC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balasegaram
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thambyrajah
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Timor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000032:analysis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D012016:Reference Values; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin