Acute phase proteins in endemic chronic liver diseases.

Forty patients with chronic liver disease and ten normal controls were investigated for acute phase proteins. Mixed schistosomal cases with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis showed more marked changes, while pure schistosomal group showed serum levels closer to normal values. This could be a differentiating point between the two categories. Also the more significant changes in the mixed groups indicate more involvement of the immune system in the pathogenesis of those groups.