LIVER FUNCTION TESTS IN NONSPECIFIC ARTHRITIS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HYPERGLOBULINEMIA

Abstract

Twenty cases of nonspecific arthritis were tested for evidence of liver damage prior to therapy, using the cephalin-cholesterol flocculation test, the thymol turbidity test and the A/G ratio. The cephalin flocculation and the thymol turbidity tests were consistently negative in all of these patients. The total serum protein and the serum albumin were normal in this group of patients, but serum globulin was elevated. The elevated globulin causes a lowering of the avg. A/G ratio in patients with non-specific arthritis. However, the albumin-globulin pattern which is present is not that associated with parenchymatous disease of the liver.