Prevalence of liver disease in patients taking salicylates for arthropathy

110 patients with various arthropathies, mostly rheumatoid arthritis, treated with salicylates, were investigated for the presence of signs of liver disease attributable to this drug. An increased serum alkaline phosphatase level was observed in 9 of 96 ASA-treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis. However, this alteration could not be related to the use of salicylates, nor to the ingestion of any other antirheumatic drug. The hyperphosphatasemia persisted during a three-year follow-up in five of the nine patients.