Acute phase proteins in alcoholics with or without liver injury

Acute phase proteins behaviour has been examined in chronic alcoholics to verify the hypothesis that chronic alcohol consumption stimulates the hepatic synthesis of acute phase proteins. Certain acute phase proteins were studied in two groups of alcoholics, one with and one without liver damage, and in a third group of healthy volunteers. The results show that the acute phase proteins were similar in the two groups of alcoholics, but differed when compared to the control group. The authors have concluded from these results, that chronic alcohol consumption causes a serum increase of: mucoproteins (p less than 0.001), alpha 1 acid glycoprotein (p less than 0.05), haptoglobin (p less than 0.05) and fibrinogen (p less than 0.02). Such increases are independent from the existence of liver damage.