[Haptoglobin phenotypes and liver cirrhosis. I (author's transl)]

The distribution of haptoglobin phenotypes (Hp) 1--1, 2--1 and 2--2 in 174 patients suffering from liver cirrhosis was determined and compared with a reference group consisting of 194 healthy subjects. The study revealed a high frequency of the Hp 1--1 phenotype (32%) in the patients as compared with the control group (14%). This difference is statistically highly significant (p less than 0.00025). It was calculated that in individuals of type Hp 1--1, the risk of liver cirrhosis is 4.3-fold higher than in persons with the phenotype Hp 2--2.