Serum Adenosine Deaminase in the Differential Diagnosis of Jaundice

Abstract

Serum adenosine deaminase was estimated by a spectrophotometric method in over 200 subjects. Elevation of enzyme activity, outside the normal range, was found in approximately 85% of cases with hepatocellular jaundice, in 15% of cases with obstructive jaundice, and in 4% of cases suffering a variety of illnesses but in whom the hepato-biliary system was not affected. While the estimation of serum adenosine deaminase activity is unlikely to prove superior to existing procedures for the diagnosis of acute hepatitis, it is suggested that this estimation may have a useful part to play in distinguishing between biliary obstruction and chronic hepatitis.