PRECIPITABLE IODINE OF SERUM (SPI) IN DISORDERS OF THE LIVER 1

Abstract

SPI in 5 patients with obstructive jaundice was normal. In cirrhosis SPI was either normal or low. When low, the serum albumin may also have been low but there was no consistent relationship between them. The depressed SPI may be correlated with the severity of the disease but with no single test of hepatic function. In hepatitis, elevation of SPI occurred early in the disease. After the first 4 wks. of illness no abnormal values were found. Published data concerning the fate of administered thyroxine indicate that the normal liver not only secretes thyroxine into the bile but also degrades thyroxine at a steady rate. The initial widespread damage of hepatic cells in hepatitis may be sufficient to prevent the normal destruction of thyroxine until liver tissue regenerates.