It is well known that the liver is the main repository of stored iron in human body and plays an important role in iron metabolism.
The serum iron level in various liver diseases has been known to show variation according to diseases entity and prominent increase in its serum level has been noted in acute viral hepatitis.
The purpose of this paper is to document the level of serum iron in the various liver diseases and to evaluate the interrelation between serum iron level and value of individual item of liver function test.
The total numbers of subjects were 79 patients who had been admitted to National Medical Center during the period from Jan. 1970 to May 1974. Of the 79 patients, 36 patients had acute viral hepatitis (male 24, female 12), 17 patients had liver cirrhosis (male 12, female 5), 12 patients had primary hepatoma (male 10, female 2) and 14 subjects were observed as control group (male 8, female 6).
The results obtained were as follows:
1) Of the liver diseases studied, viral hepatitis was associated with significant elevation in the serum iron at the average level of 202,?g% more constantly than were other diseases,. i.e. 127?g% in liver cirrhosis and 76?g% in heptoma.
2) There was no constant recognizable correlation between serum iron level and individual value of liver function test.
3) Selected 10 cases out of 36 pt. with acute viral hepatitis had been checked for serial serum iron level, liver function test and the peak value of serum iron level followed that of the SGOT, SGPT and total bilirubin.
4) Although random elevation of serum iron occurred later in the course of acute hepatitis, maximum elevation occurred 10-20 days after the appearance of clinical symptoms and jaundice. The values tended to return to normal 40-50 days after the on set of the diseases.
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