Disturbances of fat, carbohydrate, magnesium and protein balance in liver diseases

40 patients with infectious hepatitis, 25 with chronic aggressive hepatitis, 25 with compensated liver cirrhosis, and 10 with decompensated liver cirrhosis were submitted to examination. The following abnormalities depending upon the stage and severity of hepatic diseases were found: a) disturbances of total lipids, cholesterol, phospholipids, beta-lipoproteids, glycerin, glycerides and neutral fats concentrations; b) marked disorders of glucose tolerance as indicated by the difference between plasma and erythrocyte glucose levels increasing in proportion to the degree of liver damage; c) a fall in plasma and erythrocyte magnesium reflecting the degree of hepatic parenchyma damage; d) a decrease of the albumin/gamma-globulin ratio in proportion to the degree of the impairment of hepatic cells. The presented fat, carbohydrate, magnesium and protein balance indices yield better criterions for the differential diagnostics of hepatic diseases than the routine investigations, and they also make possible objective prognosis.