Studies on serum immunoreactive prolyl 4-hydroxylase in liver diseases--its elevation both in hepatocellular damage and cholestatic diseases

The concentration of serum immunoreactive prolyl 4-hydroxylase (S-IRPH) was determined in patients with various liver diseases by the radioimmunoassay developed previously. S-IRPH values were elevated in acute hepatitis (p less than 0.01), hepatocellular carcinoma (p less than 0.05), metastatic liver neoplasm (p less than 0.01) and cholestatic diseases (p less than 0.001), but no significant elevation was seen in chronic hepatitis or liver cirrhosis. The mean value of S-IRPH was highest in cholestatic diseases, and next highest in acute hepatitis. In addition to acute hepatitis, S-IRPH was increased in other conditions of hepatocellular damage such as exacerbation of chronic hepatitis or immediately after transcatheter arterial embolization of hepatocellular carcinoma. In cases of hepatocellular damage S-IRPH varied concurrent with cytoplasmic enzyme (AST, ALT and LDH) levels and in cases of cholestatic diseases with biliary enzyme (Al-P and gamma GTP) levels. These properties appear to be unique among serum enzymes. The characteristics of S-IRPH were considered to be related to its unique subcellular localization within the cell, ie the membrane of rough endoplasmic reticulum.