Previous studies from the authors' laboratories have established the range of values for the urinary excretion of 15 amino acids by normal males and females (1, 2). A preliminary survey of the urinary excretion of tryptophane, histidine, and cystine in a variety of disease states, including liver disease, showed that almost one-half of the values were either higher or lower than those observed in the control series (3). Because of the abnormalities encountered in this study, and the known relationship of the liver to amino acid metabolism (4-6), further investigation has been made into the urinary excretion of amino acids in liver disease. The present report is a study of the urinary excretion of amino acids by 25 patients, the majority of whom had subacute or chronic cirrhosis.
METHODSThe previously described methods (1-3, 7, 8) were employed for the preparation of the urine samples and the determination of amino acids by microbiological assay. The probable accuracy of the amino acid data is indicated by average deviations from the mean which averaged 5 (3.7-6.7) per cent for the values at the different levels of the samples. The serum albumin and globulin fractions and total protein were performed by the methods of Kingsley (9); the blood non-protein-nitrogen by the method of Peters and Van Slyke (10); the carbon dioxide combining power by the method of Van Slyke, Stillman, and Cullen (11); the blood sugar by the method of Benedict (12), and the prothrombin time by the Quick method (13).
RESULTS