[Quantitative serum immunoglobulin determination: differential diagnostic significance for liver disease (author's...

The serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G, A, and M levels were investigated with respect to their differential diagnostic significance, pathogenesis and estimation of prognosis of different forms of liver disease. The sera of 204 patients with acute hepatitis, fatty liver I and II, and cirrhosis, and of 110 healthy adutls were quantitatively determined for immunoglobulins. 1. IgG- and IgA-concentrations higher than 2000 mg% and 330 mg%, respectively, indicate chronic aggressive hepatitis or cirrhosis, and exclude all other groups. 2. A clear correlation between HBsAG (Australia Antigen) and immunoglobulin content could not be demonstrated in any group; 3. A significantly elevated level of IgA was observed in alcoholic cirrhosis when compared to non-alcoholic cirrhosis. No such differences were found inhe other groups. 4. Acute and chronic persistent hepatitis show a similar increase of immunoglobulins. Thus persistent high levels of Ig following acute hepatitis indicate the development into a chronic hepatitis. 5. A relative increase of IgA rather than IgG corresponds to the degree of inflammatory activity of a liver process.