[Clinical significance of gel electrophoresis of blood lipoproteins in primary biliary cirrhosis].

Gel electrophoresis was used for separation of lipoproteins of the blood sera in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) of the liver and cholelithiasis. Increased level of beta-lipoproteins in parallel with a reduction of total alpha- and pre-beta-lipoproteins were revealed in patients with PBC, these shifts being more expressed at later stages of the disease. An appreciable increase of beta- to alpha-lipoprotein ratio in PBC was observed. In patients with cholelithiasis no shifts in the lipoprotein profile of the blood serum were observed. The authors claim that the beta- to alpha-lipoprotein ratio is diagnostically significant in chronic hepatobiliary diseases.