Serum a-amino nitrogen levels were measu ed in 98 normal Korean adults and in 80 patients with hepatic disease by the modified ninhydrin colorimetric analysis of Rosen´s.
The results obtained were summarized as followings:
1) Serum a-amino nitrogen levels in norma control ranged from 1.5 mg/100 ml to 4.5mg/ 00ml, with mean value of 3.080±0.665 mg/100 ml.
2) Serum a-amino nitrogen levels in the patients with acute viral hepatitis(9), chronic active he .atitis (11), liver cirrhosis (18) and hepat ma (17), who were all not complicated with hepatic coma, were not significantly deviated from normal contros(p>-, 0.05).
3) Serum a-amino nitrogen levels n the patients with hepatic coma (25) were significantly righer as compared with normal control (p 0. 001). The high values were observed in 11 out of 25 ca.es(44 %) studied. Of these 25 cases, 5 sh ´wed inc eased value of serum a-amino nitrogen wit out
elevation of blood ammonia, and 4 neither of serum a-, mino nitrogen nor of blood ammonia increment.
4) There was no direct correlation between serum a-amino nitrogen levels and the results of various liver function tests.
5) The possible role of a-amino nitrogen hich could induce hepatic coma directly, of as th, sou rce of ammonia, was predicted by t finding-. that serum .a-amino nitrogen was elevated duringthe stage of hepatic coma with conco itant f .11 of blood ammonia level which had been el;vated
before hepatic coma.
The above data obtained suggested that quantitative determination´ of serum´´ ix-amino nitrogen levels with that of blood ammonia could be helpful as the diagnositic test for hepatic coma.
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