A simple method for routine determination of the metabolic liver capacity: the aminopyrine breath test

In 16 healthy volunteers and in 39 patients with liver diseases (fatty liver, chronic persistent and chronic active hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis) a simplified aminopyrine breath test (ABT) was carried out using a "tracer" dose of 3 mg (111 kBq) 14C-aminopyrine. The exhaled 14CO2 measured 1 h after intake amounted to values between 771 and 1337 DPM/mmol CO2/70 kg body weight in healthy controls. The amount of exhaled 14CO2 decreased in the order: fatty liver greater than chronic, active hepatitis greater than active, compensated cirrhosis greater than active, decompensated cirrhosis. Between the values of ABT and various conventional laboratory liver tests (alanine-aminotransferase, alanine-aminopeptidase, aspartate-aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, total serum bilirubin) significant correlations were found (r = 0.6019 to 0.7765, n = 55; p less than 0.001). The proposed modification of the breath test is of advantage in that it requires a very low dose of aminopyrine and is easily practicable.