ALTERATIONS IN SERUM PROTEIN AS AN INDEX OF HEPATIC FAILURE

Abstract

For some time we have been interested in the changes in the protein content of the serum in hepatic disease. The basis of this interest lies in numerous clinical and experimental observations. Whipple¹ found that the liver produces fibrinogen. Less conclusively other experiments have indicated that the liver is the site of formation of the albumin of serum. Clinical observations and studies show that there are changes in the protein content of the blood in hepatic disease. This fact was first observed by Grenet² and Gilbert³ in 1907, who found a diminution of the total protein content of the blood in cases of cirrhosis of the liver. Filinski⁴ described cases of cirrhosis in which the total protein content was decreased, chiefly in the albumin fraction, with some elevation of the globulin content. His observation, confirmed by Abrami and Wallich,⁵ have received repeated verification in the