[1H-NMR studies of plasma from patients with liver diseases]

We examined the 1H-NMR spectra of the lipid region of human plasma according to the method of Fossel et al. as the specific blood test for cancer. The study group included 20 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 10 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 10 normal controls (NC). We measured the linewidths of methyl and methylene resonances of lipoprotein lipids at a proton resonance frequency of 400 MHz using a JNM GX400 FT NMR spectrometer. The mean linewidth values and the standard deviation of methyl were as follows: 41.3 +/- 7.2 Hz (NC), 34.8 +/- 6.9 Hz (LC), 29.6 +/- 5.7 Hz (HCC). There was thus a significant difference between NC and HCC. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the three groups in the case of methylene. Although the spectrum in the HCC and LC groups had a blunt head but narrow body, that of the NC group had a pointed head but wide body, and the linewidth values thus showed wide dispersion. This difference in spectral patterns between the two groups was characteristic. Linewidth values, however, did not correlate well with the laboratory data.