Studies on some serum enzyme levels in various liver diseases.

Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (EC 3.1.3.1), 5'nucleotidase (5'NT) (EC 3.1.3.5), aldolase (ALD) (EC 4.1.2.13) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) (EC 1.1.1.14) were estimated in infective hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, obstructive jaundice, cirrhosis of liver and amoebic liver abscess. It was observed that serum ALP and 5'NT were significantly increased in all cases of chronic active hepatitis and obstructive hepatic disease. However, the elevation observed in the latter was much higher than the former. Serum SDH and ALD levels were elevated in all cases of infective hepatitis, studied though increase in the former was much higher than the latter, suggesting its significance in the diagnostic confirmation of this disease. Results presented suggest 5'NT and SDH as more reliable diagnostic test compared to ALP and ALD for obstructive jaundice and infective hepatitis respectively.