Measurement of serum type III procollagen aminopeptide with RIA-gnost PIIIP coated tube

In 55 patients with various alcoholic liver diseases, serum type III procollagen aminopeptide (PIIIP) was measured on admission, on biopsy (2-4 weeks after admission) and on discharge from hospital (3 months after admission) using RIA-gnost PIIIP coated tube, an assay kit recently launched by Hoechst Japan Limited. Serum PIIIP on admission showed a good correlation with the degree of hepatic fibrosis and was significantly higher in any disease group than in healthy controls, suggesting its usefulness as an indicator of hepatic fibrosis. After abstinence, however, serum PIIIP level exhibited an increasing tendency in all the disease groups expect alcoholic hepatitis, and the number of laboratory tests showing a significant correlation with PIIIP decreased as compared with that on admission. The mechanism of serum PIIIP elevations seen after abstience is yet to be elucidated in detail, considering their possible association with factors other than collagen synthesis in the liver. (author)